The Bond
by arrowsandangels
Summary: Picks up after Alone. Reviewers, this is my first attempt, be gentle and honest.
1. Chapter 1

So how the hell did he let this happen? One minute they were having dinner, a feast of peanut butter and jelly, and his personal favorite, pigs feet, and a minute later she was gone. And it was all his fault. He let himself get too comfortable with her, to close. Her smile that told him she thought he was a "good person" was to disarming. When she looked at him like that, when she said he was "good" a sudden unexpected heat ran through his body. It was a feeling that you aren't suppose to get with family. And he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. The dog barking finally broke the spell, and Daryl ran for the door, grateful for the interruption. He was so relieved to be away from her, away from that feeling, that he let his guard down, he didn't check the door, he forgot to be cautious, and the walkers started pouring in.

The last thing he had said to her was "Run! Run Beth, Run!" And she did. And then she was gone. All that was left was her dropped bag and that black car speeding away. Daryl ran, he ran like hell after that car, he ran as long and as fast as no 40 year old man should be able to run. But he couldn't keep up with the car, and eventually, at the fork in the road, he simply had to quit running. Since then, he had been searching every car he saw, looking for Beth in every building, alley, and hiding place. Dragging his guilt over losing her with him. Mentally beating himself up at every turn with what ifs and if onlys. Time was a blur. The only thing that mattered was that he had lost his family, he had lost Beth. And he would do anything to find her. So, it was a shock when she found him.

A blonde, raggedy ball of nothin' burst out from behind a hedge and barreled into his chest, momentarily knocking him off balance. As he struggled to regain his footing, he instinctively reached for the force that was trying to bury itself in him. With a sharp intake of breath, he suddenly realized it was Beth! Her head rolled back, her eyes fluttered up at him, and before she passed out, with a quiet whisper she said "I knew you'd find me." As her body went limp, he grabbed her closer, pulled her into himself, and began to run. Off the street, out of sight, he had to get her away from he didn't know what or where. He just knew he had to keep her safe.

Daryl didn't know how long or how far he ran, he was only aware of the tiny girl in his arms and the pounding questions in his head. How long? Where? Who? How? Finally, he spotted a two story building, brick, set back from the road. He knew he couldn't clear it with her in his arms, so after a quick visual check around the outside, he gently set her down on the cement porch and quickly camouflaged her with his backpack. Then a bang on the door jamb to draw any walkers out, and he was inside clearing the building. He moved fast, efficiently, because taking care of Beth was the most important job he'd ever had. And he wasn't going to make any mistakes this time.

With a tenderness he didn't realize he possessed, he carried her limp body inside and upstairs. Laying her on a blanket he found on the floor, he noticed how tiny she had become. Her body seemed to be shrinking out of her clothes. The same clothes she had been wearing the last time he had seen her. How long had she been gone? Where had she been? And who had she been with? His questions would have to wait, first things first, he had to secure the building.

With traps set, and everything locked up tight, Daryl returned to the second floor and his Beth. As he rummaged through his pack he absently wondered when she had become "his Beth." Pulling out a bottle of water, he moistened his bandana, and began to gently wash the grime from her unconscious face. A closer look revealed a split lip that had started to heal. A yellowing bruise covered the left side of her jaw and the last remnant of a black eye was visible under her right eye. Rage began to rise from his gut. Who had done this to her? He was going to find them, and kill them.

Awkwardly, Daryl pushed her loose hair back from her face. He remembered her hair gleaming in the sun, looking like silk and smelling like fruit, with a silly side braid that he always wanted to pull. But now, it was flat and sticky, smelling of cigarette smoke, beer, and sweat. And what was that that was caked in her hair? With a sickening thud in his heart, he realized it was blood? But whose? A little sigh escaped from her lips, and Daryl rocked back on his heels. His eyes focused on her face, and he was surprised to taste his own salty tears as he silently vowed that no one would ever hurt her again.

Beth lay on the blanket silently, Daryl checked to make sure she was still breathing. Then his thoughts once again, went back to their time together. Their time before she was taken. Their run through the woods after the prison had fallen. Following the tracks which unfortunately had only led them to a group of walkers on the train tracks. Seeing a child's shoe laying in the muck that was left of its owner, Beth had broken down in tears. The grisly discovery was too much for her, and his stomach had clenched with pain at not knowing what to say or do. In that moment, Daryl knew that now his only job was to take care of Beth. And he hadn't even been able to do that.

She was so sweet, so innocent and so helpless. Despite her proclamation that she could "take care of herself," she hadn't even known how to hold a knife properly. Physically, she had no business surviving in the brutal, ugliness the world had become. But emotionally, she was rock solid. Tough enough to take him on, for days she had absorbed his grunts and surliness without flinching. After a day of drinking moonshine, Beth had been the target of his verbal attacks, his drunken bullying, and intimidation tactics. And she never broke. In fact, the more abuse he heaped on her that day, the stronger she became. Until finally, he broke.

Just as earlier, on the farm, Carol had borne witness to his physical scars, that night at the moonshine cabin, Beth had touched his emotional scars. The ones that had held him down, told him he wasn't good enough, made him feel like an outsider in the grown-ups world. He had shared memories that both terrified him and filled him with shame. And Beth took it all in, she took in his guilt, his pain, his fear, and had wrapped his heart with tenderness and strength. In one night, she went from being a silly girl to the most important person in his life. Ever. And it was his job to take care of her.

Daryl was so lost in his own head, that for a few moments, he didn't notice her beginning to stir. In fact, it wasn't until he heard her whisper his name that he realized she was awake.

"Daryl. Daryl." The second time louder, more urgent and with a hint of panic.

"I'm here. And I'm not leavin you Beth. You rest, I'll keep watch."

Her eyes searched his face, and Daryl was sure he saw a flicker of a smile. Her hand reached out for him, and he quickly covered it with his larger one. "I knew you'd find me," she whispered again and then she drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

He didn't know how long he sat watching her sleep. The shadows had begun to grow longer, The sun was setting, and Daryl's stomach was telling him it was time to eat. And still she slept. Finally, just when he was ready to give up she began to stir. At first guardedly, as if she didn't know where she was, her eyes flicked around the room until her gaze settled on him. Slowly she sat up, never taking her eyes off him.

Daryl found a bowl, some water, and a clean-ish cloth. There was no way he was leaving her alone, but he understood she might want some privacy for bathing. "Here. No shower, but maybe you can splash around with this. I thought it might make you feel better. I'll just, I'll be over there." His visible discomfort with making such a sweet, intimate offer touched her heart. And for his efforts, he earned a little smile. "Thank you."

Daryl walked across the room to another window, to catch some light. He was trying not to smother her, to give her some time, some space. But after such a long separation, it was hard. He wasn't used to tiptoeing around people and he had so many questions. He resisted the urge to look back at her as long as he could, instead busying himself pulling out some canned peaches and tuna. He dug through his pack and found a shirt that wasn't too dirty and shook it out. Finally, he glanced over his shoulder towards her. She had her back to him and was naked from the waist up. She was so thin, her spine, and every rib was exposed. Her skin was almost transparent. Little rivers of water were running down her back. The water highlighted a deep muscle bruise on the left side of her back, and as she combed the clean water through her hair he could see restraint marks on her wrists. Whoever had taken her, wherever she had been, it wasn't good. They hadn't fed her. Someone had tied her down and beat the crap out of her.

With two steps he crossed the room. She had such a generous, gentle soul, that he couldn't bear to see her so broken. It was all he could do to keep his rage at whoever had done this from spilling over onto her. Whoever it was, he was going to find them and make them wish they were dead. It took everything he had to keep his voice level and he forced his face into a bit of a smile. "Here. Put this on." He handed her the shirt and silently began clasping and unclasping his fists at his side to keep his anger in check.

For as long as she was gone, he had been carrying around guilt and shame at losing her. The self recriminations had been unending, following him even into the little sleep he'd found. If only he hadn't gone back for that arrow or hadn't stopped to look at that bloody walker or run a little faster or hadn't told her to run, or paid more attention before he opened that damn door! Now, he was almost grateful for a new evil to focus his attention on.

With an act of extreme self-control, he sat down beside the wisp of a girl who was now wearing his shirt. The moisture of her bath causing it to cling to her skin and skim over her curves. She looked so pale and fragile. How could anyone hurt her? Wordlessly he handed her some peaches. Now that she was here with him again, how could he tell her how scared he had been? He could barely admit it to himself. All he could say was, "Where were you girl?"

It took a few minutes for Beth to collect her thoughts, but once she did, the words tumbled out in a rush. "He must have been watching us. All day. I did what you said, I ran to the road. He was just…..there. I tried to run, but my ankle slowed me down. He grabbed my arm and threw a blanket over me. And pushed me into the car. And the dog, it was a white dog that came to the door wasn't it? The dog came and just jumped in the car wagging his tail. And licked my face. I tried to scream. I did, but I couldn't get any words out. And then the car started moving and I heard you yell my name and, and….." With a heavy sigh, Beth hung her head. After what seemed like forever, she looked back up at Daryl's expectant face, pushed her hair back out of her eyes, and in a whisper said "I knew you would find me. I knew you would."

So, there was the how. But where had she been? Who had taken her?

"So, when you gonna tell me where you were, and what happened to you while you were….gone?

Her eyes which once sparkled, were now dull and dark. And at his probing question, her face became flat and expressionless. What secrets was she hiding?

"It doesn't matter. I'm here now."

Daryl nodded, and thought to himself, she's wrong. It does matter. She needs to let it out. But that's for tomorrow.

The sun was setting. But she needed more to eat. Clothes of her own. Daryl pulled a handgun gun out of his pack and checked the magazine. He indicated a spot directly across from the door and said, "Sit here. I'm goin' out. Here," he handed her the gun, "point it at the door. Anyone comes in, kill 'em."

"Daryl!" Beth protested weakly.

"I ain't kiddin. Anyone but me comes in, kill 'em." He hated the idea of leaving her alone, but it was too dangerous for her to be out after dark. He'd make this a quick run, just what they needed for a few days. And make sure she could protect herself until he got back. People were now more dangerous than walkers.

With Beth settled against the wall, gun in hand, Daryl grabbed his crossbow and headed out. The first two houses he found had been picked clean. The third house still had a cupboard full of canned goods and upstairs, one of the bedrooms was painted pink. The closet and drawers were full of clothes that looked to be the right size. Daryl thought to himself, Merle's probably laughing somewhere. Watching me go through girl clothes and lady things. Only for Beth would he do that. He found pants, shirts, a sweater and undergarments that looked right. And a Carhartt jacket and a hat that reminded him of Dale. As he walked out of the room, the last thing he saw was a petite gold cross on a thin chain. Daryl only hesitated a moment before stuffing it in his pocket.

Running through the dark, Daryl tried to think how long he had taken while simultaneously tamping down thoughts of all the things that could have happened while he was gone. Coming up the steps, with a loud whisper, Daryl announced his arrival. "Beth, it's me. Don't shoot. Beth, Beth!" There was no answer and Daryl fearing the worst, took the last few steps three at a time. "Beth!" Cautiously pushing open the door, he saw the gun he'd given her laying in the middle of the floor.

He held his breath as he walked into their room, crossbow at the ready. Funny how quickly it had become "their" room. He scooped up the gun as he scanned the room. She was standing by the window.

"I told you to keep that gun pointed at the door." He growled. How could he keep her safe if she wouldn't follow simple directions.

"I know. I just wanted to look at the moon." Beth's mouth smiled up at him, but her eyes were dead.

"Enough looking. It's time to sleep. We're heading out early tomorrow." Daryl tied the door closed as Beth spread out the blanket and laid down. She patted the spot next to her, for him to lay down. He stretched out between her and the door. No one was getting past him.

Slipping into sleep, she reached for his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. Daryl caught his breath as he felt heat start to flow through his body, and he yanked his hand away. She stirred in her sleep, reaching for him. Awkwardly, he covered her hand with his.

That's how he lost her the last time. He didn't dare get too close, too distracted, he didn't dare let his guard down or he wouldn't be able to protect her. The floor was hard, reaching her hand was a strain, but somehow he drifted off to sleep. Thinking, in the morning, they would run.


	3. Chapter 3

Before the sun was fully up, Daryl was anxious to go. He wanted to get an early start. They would stay on the road a while, to make a faster get away. But the road was a dangerous place for women and Beth couldn't run yet. However, she could complain.

"I'm not wearing this. It makes me look like a boy!" The brown Carhartt was too big, and so long it covered Beth's butt.

"Good. It's better that way. And put on the hat, cover your hair." As long as they were following the road, Daryl thought it better if it wasn't so obvious that Beth was a woman.

"Daryl! How am I supposed to take out walkers with all this on?" Beth didn't remember Daryl being so bossy. Telling her what to do, what to wear. And, Daryl didn't remember Beth being so whiny. Stubborn, but not whiny.

Daryl sighed. "I'll take care of the walkers. You just stay close." He actually thought she looked pretty cute. Maybe that was because he knew what she looked like without the coat. And the hat.

"And my pack. Where's my stuff? Daddy always said that everybody has a job to do. I can carry my own stuff." Even before the turn, Beth had been raised to believe, if you bring it, you carry it. Now, that was more important than ever. On the road, everyone had to be able to defend themselves and make their own way. No way was she wimping out and letting Daryl carry everything now.

For the time being, Daryl was content to carry the load. Until Beth was physically well, he didn't want her to have to worry about anything. Just walking would be enough of an effort for a few days. But, she sure was stubborn.

"And, I don't have a weapon."

"Um hmm." Daryl's patience with this was running out. The sun was up and he wanted to put some distance between them and this place. If anyone decided to come looking for Beth, he wanted it to be harder to find her. "Did you lose your knife?"

Silence. Daryl knew before he asked that Beth didn't have her knife. He figured that someone took it from her, but thought maybe if he asked she might tell him where or when.

"Let's go. Just stay close."

"Yes sir, Mr. Dixon."

Suddenly, Daryl remembered the little cross in his pocket. As offhandedly as he could manage, he held it out to her. "Here." His reward was a sparkling smile. Even her eyes had a little of their old sparkle.

"Ohhh! Daryl, it's so pretty. Help me put it on, pleeease." Beth couldn't believe that Daryl had brought her something so thoughtful. It totally made up for him demanding that she wear the dorky coat and hat.

His rough hands rubbed against the skin on the back of her neck as he fastened the chain on her. Her skin was so soft and she smelled so good. Against his will, his body started to tingle. Breathing heavily he stepped away from her. Damn. Anybody gets anywhere near her, they'll know she's a woman.

"If we see anyone, let me do the talking. You, don't look at anybody. Just look at the ground. And stick your hands in your pockets." The coat and hat were good from a distance, but up close, even now her face was still the most beautiful face he'd ever seen.

They headed out. Daryl was walking at a quick pace, but Beth matched him step for step. For what seemed to Beth like hours they walked along silently. The few walkers they came across, Daryl dispatched quickly, quietly.

Two men suddenly emerged from the bushes. Daryl stepped in front of Beth, and began talking to them in a low voice. Beth stuffed her hands in her pockets and tried to listen to what they saying. She couldn't make out much, but she did hear Daryl say:

"..my boy, Merle. He ain't right in the head." Beth stared at the ground, her face beginning to flush with frustration. Calling her Merle, saying she "ain't right in the head." She knew he had reasons, he just wanted to protect her, but, that was insulting.

The men finally disappeared back into the bushes by the side of the road. Daryl grabbed her arm and started to hurry her along. After what felt like a reasonable time, Beth finally said "That was mean! You didn't have to make fun of me."

"Yeah, keep walking. We have to get off the road." And with that, Daryl pulled Beth off into the woods.

Where we going? Do you know?" Walking on the uneven terrain was harder for her, and took significantly more energy.

"Your favorite suck ass camp." At that, Beth let out a little giggle. "We'll hold up there a few days and rest."

An hour went by, Beth was pretty sure they were close to camp when there was a slight rustle in the woods to their left. "Wait!" With a panicked whisper, Beth pulled on Daryl's arm. "Do you hear that?" They both froze and Daryl stained to hear what Beth heard. With some effort, Daryl could make out voices.

Beth flattened herself against a tree and struggled to control her breathing. "Daryl, it's them. It's them. I know it is." And with that, the white dog came into view. "See, see!" She whispered.

"How many?" Daryl strained to see through the foliage.

"Fou…three. Three now. Don't let them see me. Don't let them…"

The fear in Beth's voice was palpable. Her breathing was so shallow Daryl thought she might pass out. Silently, he pulled the handgun out of his belt and handed it to Beth, and then checked his crossbow and knife. With a look, he told her to stay silent and still. And so, they waited. For what seemed like hours. When Daryl was sure the threat had passed, he took Beth's arm and soundlessly guided her the rest of the way back to their old camp.

Beth was amazed to see their little tent and walker warning system still in place. Apparently, she thought, it was such a crappy, suck ass camp that no one else wanted it. The idea brought a little smile to her lips. And a feeling of relief. Because tonight it looked like heaven.

Daryl didn't have to do much encouraging to get Beth to lay down and rest. She had the gun, if she needed it. And Daryl keeping watch outside the tent. She had never felt safer.

The hours passed, night turned into dawn. A cold wet nose and rough lick to the cheek woke Beth up. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and struggled to focus, she was surprised to see the white dog. Wagging his tail. Looking at her with his one eye. Sharply catching her breath, she started to tense and reached for the gun.

"It's okay, Beth." Daryl was sitting at the entrance to the tent. Soundlessly he handed her her lost knife. "You don't have to worry about them anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

"Where did you find Boy?" Beth sat down in front of the tent, and the white dog, which had woke her up, immediately attempted to climb into her lap. Beth absently petted him, scratching him behind the ears and making kissy sounds on the top of his head.

"I found him outside the tent when, um,.….a couple hours ago. When I walked up, he went right inside and lay down next to you. Acted like he knew you."

"He was outside the funeral home and….I love this dog. I'm going to keep him."

"Yeah. We'll see."

As Beth fiddled with Boy, she watched Daryl from under her eyelashes. She saw his scraped knuckles and a rust colored stain near the bottom of his pants that looked new. From the look on his face, she could tell he hadn't slept much the previous night. Maybe not at all. With the return of her knife and his assurance that she didn't need to worry about "them" anymore, she could guess what he had done while she slept. Her heart alternately ached at what he felt he had to do to protect her and melted because he was willing to do it. And there was still another part of her that was terrified at the thought of what else he was able or willing to do. At what he had become because of her.

"Thank you Daryl." Boy wagged his tail, and smiled at Beth.

"I didn't say yes."

"They were really bad. They had Boy, but Boy picked me. Just like we get to pick our friends and now we get to pick our families. Well, dogs pick their people. They** had** Boy, but Boy **picked** me. He **saved** me. So,…you better be nice to me Mr. Dixon. 'Cause I'm keeping Boy." Beth finished with a little smile. But, Boy flashed his teeth at Daryl before nuzzling up to Beth.

Despite Daryl's initial misgivings about Beth having a dog, Boy seemed to earn his keep. He silently alerted them to the presence of walkers and other people, sometimes herding Beth away from danger. Playing with Boy was slowly bringing the light back to Beth's eyes. And at night, he snuggled next to her in the tent, keeping her nightmares at bay. While Daryl alternately slept and kept watch outside.

For three days, Daryl and Beth stayed at their crappy, suck ass camp. Daryl fished and hunted. He taught Beth how to sharpen her knife and how to use it. On walkers, and on people, if she had to. Beth practiced with the handgun Daryl gave her. She learned how to skin and cook squirrel and rabbits. They took walks in the sun and in the evening, she entertained Daryl with stories about growing up on the farm. And always, Boy was at Beth's side.

At the end of the third day, Daryl decided they were ready, that Beth was strong enough to be on the road. As the sun went down he announced, "We head out in the morning, to start looking for Rick and the rest. And we need to find a place for the winter."

As day turned to night, it started to rain. Beth stretched out in the little tent, her knife at her side. Because of the rain, Daryl decided to sleep in the tent, instead of in front of it. He waited for Beth to fall asleep, for her breathing to become smooth and even. He didn't want to startle her, she'd had enough trauma recently. Slowly he climbed in the tent, but before he could even stretch out, Boy pushed his way into the middle of the tent and snuggled up to Beth, and then showed Daryl his teeth. Daryl smiled to himself. No one was getting near Beth with Boy around. He could definitely stay.


	5. Chapter 5

"…Thank you for Daryl and for letting him find me for and for bringing Boy to me. And Lord, if they're still alive, please watch over Maggie and Glenn, and Rick, Carl, and Judith, and the rest of my family, and help us to find them. Amen."

Daryl stopped just outside their camp, out of sight, and listened to Beth's sweet prayers, not wanting to interrupt or disturb her. He wished he had the same faith that she had. Faith in God and faith in other people. After what she had been through, he was astonished that she still believed that most people were good. He thought about their prison family. How they had invited Sasha, Tyreese, Bob and the rest in. They were all good people. He smiled to himself, and unconsciously stood just a little straighter, a little taller, remembering that Beth said he was good. Maybe she was right, maybe there were more good people left. And if she believed their family was out there and she wanted to find them, then it was time to start looking. One thing was for certain, they weren't going to find them hanging around the camp.

"Come on, girl. We need to get going if we're going to find Rick and Maggie and the rest. They have days on us."

Beth fussed with her pack for a few minutes, finally standing up without the coat or hat. "Daryl, I'm not wearing that coat. It's too big, its heavy and hot, and it's hard to walk in. Besides, I have Boy and my knife. I'll just stay close to you. It'll be okay."

"Put the coat on. And put the gun in the pocket. Keep it close. And Beth, never pull it unless you're ready to use it. And always shoot to kill."

Beth looked at the ground, nodded a bit to herself, and looked at Boy who laying at her feet grinning up at her. "Okay. How about this? I'll put the gun in my belt and I'll wear the hat. But I'm not wearing the coat. It's silly." Beth tucked her hair, even the braid, up into her hat.

Daryl gave her a critical look. The hat helped, but… He wished he had the faith in good people that Beth had. But there just seemed to be a lot more bad ones now. With a sigh, Daryl reached in his pack and pulled out a shirt. "Put this on."

Beth's nose wrinkled. "It stinks."

"Good. Maybe it'll keep people away. Just put it on."

Beth slid Daryl's shirt on over her own. It hung loosely over her clothes. Boy seemed to find it fascinating, as he suddenly sat up and began sniffing and licking the bottom edges.

The three of them headed out of camp, Daryl and Beth walking side by side, with Boy at Beth's heels. An hour into their walk, a pickup truck appeared coming towards them. Daryl hustled Beth off the side of the road. "If they stop, I'll take care of it." Beth nodded silently. Daryl checked his crossbow and squinted towards the slowing truck. "Where's your gun? Keep it handy." Beth pulled her gun and held it down at her side.

The truck came to a stop and a man and a woman, both cradling a long gun climbed out of the cab. They slowly walked towards Daryl and Beth. The man called to them, "How you doing?"

"We're good." Daryl eyed them both suspiciously. Boy rolled on his back and smiled.

"Where you headed?'

"Up the road." These days, everyone was careful about sharing too much information. You never knew who you were dealing with.

"Just the two of you?" The man did the talking, the woman watched. They both looked back and forth from Daryl to Beth.

Daryl glanced down at Boy, who was now stretched out on his stomach, chasing a beetle with his nose. "Three."

The man and woman looked at each other and exchanged nods, "We have a camp about 15 miles from here if you need a place for a few days."

The conversation continued for a few more minutes. Daryl was more interested in finding a car than joining another group. The pair gave him directions to a little neighborhood that was just a few more miles down the road. As they drove off, Daryl looked down at Boy. "So much for being a watch dog."

Beth tucked her gun back into her belt and knelt down to hug Boy and let him lick her face. "He's a perfect watch dog! He knew what kind of people they were before we did." Daryl sighed as Beth made kissy noises on Boy's head.

"Yeah, lets go." Daryl and Beth walked silently. Boy was never far from Beth. Sometimes at her heels or her side. Other times he would bounce off the road to chase something only he could hear, jauntily returning after several minutes with a goofy grin. At one point, Boy bounded up to Beth with a tennis ball in his mouth. And for the next hour, Beth and Daryl took turns throwing the tennis ball for him and laughing at his antics in bringing it back.

After a particularly long throw, Boy suddenly reappeared, slinking in front of both Daryl and Beth, teeth bared. Boy parked himself in front of Beth, blocking her path. His playful grin gone, replace by a threatening show of teeth, and a low guttural growl rolling from deep within him. Daryl was instantly on point and ready when three men emerged from the side of the road. As the men approached Beth and Daryl, they began to spread out.

Daryl's shirt, which Beth was wearing over her clothes, had shifted a bit so her shirt and curves were clearly visible underneath it. Boy's growls grew louder, and Daryl realized one of the men had begun eyeing Beth. "Eyes over here. Don't even look at her." Beth quickly pulled the shirt around herself and furtively pulled the gun Daryl had given her.

A sinister smile began to work its way across the face of the man eyeing Beth, as he took a step towards her. Suddenly, Boy leapt up on him, knocking him backwards. The back of his head hit the ground with a solid thud and a look of confusion crossed his face. As he looked up, Beth had her gun pointed at his face. Her eyes dark and dead, her face expressionless. There was no mistaking her intentions.

Daryl growled, "You got a problem with your hearing? I said don't look at her." He continued pointing his crossbow at the one who appeared to be the leader. "Drop your guns. Now, back off. Don't turn around. Just back off."

Beth was still pointing her gun at the motionless man on the ground staring up at her. Boy continued his threatening growl and began walking towards the two men who were looking at Daryl. As Boy approached them, they followed Daryl's command, dropping their visible weapons, and began backing up.

"No need to get excited. We're all friends here." The leader started.

"No. We're not! You! Get up." Daryl said to the man still laying on the ground. When the man didn't move quickly enough, Daryl kicked him with his boot. "I said get up. Now!" The man slowly got to his feet, laid his automatic on the ground, and awkwardly joined his friends. Beth's gun continually trained on his face. Boy growling menacingly at the three men as they all backed away.

"You come near my family again, I'll kill you. If I even think you've been near my family, I'll hunt you down and kill you. You understand!" There was a tone in Daryl's voice that Beth had never heard before. There was no doubt in her mind that he meant what he said. "Now, get out of here before I change my mind and kill you right now."

The three men turned and melted into the woods, with Daryl and Boy following. Beth tucked her gun away and began to scoop up the abandoned weapons and stick them in her pack. After several minutes, Daryl and Boy emerged from the bushes. Daryl nodded to Beth, "Come on. We gotta get off the road." And the three of them took off at a quick run.


	6. Chapter 6

"This house will do. We'll stay here tonight." Beth and Boy waited by the front door while Daryl cleared the house. It was an unassuming, two story, with a screened in porch. The water still worked, it was cold, but it was running water. There was still some food left in the cupboards and a secure space on the porch for a small fire for cooking.

While Daryl secured the house, Beth made a quick dinner with the food she found in the kitchen. It was fun to be in a real house again, with a real kitchen. Even if the only thing that worked was the cold water. They spread out on the living room floor to eat, picnic style. Afterwards, Daryl leaned back in a recliner while Beth poked around through some cupboards until she found a backgammon set. "Ohhh, I used to play this with Maggie. We would sit on the porch and drink lemonade after dinner, and play backgammon. Do you know how to play?"

"No. We didn't play board games."

Beth smiled, "Good! That means I'll probably win! Come on, I'll teach you." Beth settled on the end of the sofa, with her feet tucked up under her. Boy stretched out on the floor in front of her.

"Why don't you tell me some more stories about growing up on the farm, instead."

"Oh, you don't want to hear about the farm." Beth was right, Daryl didn't really want to hear about the farm. He wanted to see her face soften and her eyes light up when she talked about it. Thinking about the farm even changed the sound of her voice, making it feel like honey, and Daryl let it roll over him.

After a bit, Beth paused in her story telling. "I found a big tub upstairs. I filled it with water before we ate so it could warm up a little. Maybe I'll just go up now to soak and wash my hair. It's been so long." A little smile played on Beth's lips. "And when I'm done, you need to get in."

"Yeah, and if I'm up there bare assed in that tub, and something happens down here." Daryl rubbed his bottom lip with his finger. "Then what?"

The lightness left Beth's face. "The doors are all locked and Boy will be with me. We can take care of whatever comes up."

"Uh huh."

Beth put her head down and stared at the game board. "When I was in the back of that car. I hid my knife in my boot. They didn't find it." Beth swallowed hard and began pushing pieces around the game board. "One night, one of them tried to um… But Boy got after him and when he went to push Boy away, I was able to get my knife out of my boot. I stabbed him in the neck and ran." Beth looked up at Daryl with a small, hard, forced smile. "Necks bleed a lot. You deserve to soak in the tub for a while. When I'm done I'll put in clean water for you. It will make your muscles feel better. I know you haven't been sleeping very much. And besides that, you stink. Don't worry, Boy and I can watch things down here for a while."

Daryl was staring at her with what she interpreted as a new found admiration. "You stabbed him in the neck?! You Greene girls are tough."

Beth's face was dead, "Yeah, well, I didn't care much for the alternative. I'm going up to get in that tub now."

Beth and Boy headed up the stairs, Beth to the tub and Boy to guard the door for her. Daryl did one last check of the doors and windows. His mind kept churning the idea that Beth had stabbed a man in the neck. It's one thing to kill a walker, but killing a living, breathing person, no matter how bad they are, that changes you. He was relieved that she had been able to do it when she needed to, but the memory of her eyes so dark and dull when he found her scared him more than he was willing to admit. He didn't want Beth to lose herself trying to survive in the ugliness the world had become.

While Beth finished up in the tub, Daryl did an inventory check of the guns they had picked up that day. They'd need to find more ammo, but it was nice collection.

Beth called down to Daryl that the tub was ready for him. He headed up the steps after he heard another door close. When he got to the top, Boy was laying outside the closed door. Daryl smiled and thought to himself 'good dog' when Boy showed him his teeth.

While Daryl soaked, Beth stayed in the master bedroom to comb out her hair and put on some pajamas she found. She smiled at her image in the full length mirror, she hadn't felt so good in a long time. When she went downstairs, Daryl was already sitting in the recliner.

Daryl looked up in time to see Beth coming down the stairs. With the light behind her, it was obvious she wasn't wearing anything under her pajamas. With a start he felt that unwanted, unwelcome heat begin to spread through his body, and he forced his eyes away. She was so innocent, he thought, she had no idea the effect she had on him. And he wanted to keep it that way.

Beth settled on the ottoman near the recliner. Daryl briefly wondered if there was a nice way to say 'go sit on the other side of the room, away from me.' He could see her mind working, as she chewed on her lower lip. "Daryl, you told those men that if you saw 'em again… You'd really kill "em wouldn't you." It was more a statement than a question.

"Since the turn, people can't hide who they really are anymore. That piece of shit on the ground, the way he looked at you. He almost didn't get up. I ever see any of 'em again…" Absently chewing the end of a toothpick, Daryl shook his head. "Hmm, I should've done it today."

A comfortable silence settled between them. Until finally, "You did good today, girl. Boy did too." Daryl reached over and absently scratched Boy's head. "You earned your keep today, Boy. Now you ought to go to bed. We'll be walking again tomorrow if we don't find a car."

Beth gave Daryl a smile and a quick hug, "Good night, Mr. Dixon." And headed up the stairs, with Boy right behind her. He heard the bedroom door close and strained to hear the bed creak as she settled in. With a small sigh, Daryl turned the sofa to face the door and stretched out on it. Grateful to be alone with his thoughts.

Authors Note: I started this purely for my own pleasure and satisfaction, and to fill the void until TWD comes back in October! Now, I confess, its sort of fun to see that other people are reading this and seem to enjoy it. thank you.


	7. The New Chapter 7

Authors Note: This in the newly, revised chapter 7. The original version did not make me happy. I don't know what caused the cart to tip, but it was bad. Was I sleep deprived, overly caffeinated, in a rush to publish, or possessed by I-don't-want-my-husband-to-see-me-writing-this? Yes, yes, yes, and oh God yes. After some editing, etc, now it makes me happy.

"Daryl! Daryl! Let me in! Daryl!" He was awakened by the sound of a soft banging on the front door accompanied by loud stage whispers. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he could make out Beth standing on the porch outside the front door. With a quick jump, he opened the door, grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, all the while dodging Boy's teeth.

"Jesus Beth! What the hell are you doing outside by yourself?" The edge in his voice grated in Beth's ear.

"Don't yell at me. I wasn't alone, I had Boy with me." Beth twisted away from Daryl, and began backing away from him as she spoke. Boy was pacing between them, visibly agitated by the tone in Daryl's voice. "I saw a peach tree in the backyard. I thought I could quick go out, get some fruit and come right back in before you even knew I was out there. But, the backdoor locked behind me. So…" Daryl glared down at her. "Would you like one?" Beth smiled sweetly and held out a perfect peach.

Daryl's heart melted with Beth's offer of the fruit. He couldn't stay annoyed with her, no matter how foolish her actions. He took a big bite of the offered fruit and the juice ran down his chin. "Mmm. It's good! Where's the tree?"

Beth and Daryl peered out the back window together as Beth pointed out the tree in the middle of the yard. Daryl started to smile, but it quickly turned to a scowl. "Is that a walker?" He growled, as he spotted a crumpled heap near the tree.

"I took care of it." Beth pulled herself up as straight and tall as she could, trying to look Daryl straight in the face. "I took my knife and Boy. I was careful."

"Yeah. I told you not to go out alone. You don't know what's out there. Walkers might be the nicest thing you meet." He'd already lost her once, sending her out by herself at the funeral home, he wasn't about to let that happen again.

"Daryl," Beth let out a heavy sigh. "I'm stronger now. I'm not that scared little girl who tried to get away from walkers by throwing a rock."

Daryl just snorted. There was no sense arguing. Now that they were up, it was time to hit the road. "You pack; I'm going out and look for a car." There were five other houses on the cul-de-sac they were on. All with garages. Chances were good that one of them would have a car. Daryl made a quick sweep, looking through the windows to see what was inside. In the third one Daryl spotted a Jeep. Not quite as good as a truck, but it would do.

As Daryl looked for a car, Beth went upstairs to pack. She couldn't resist sitting at the vanity and combing her hair. Such a simple act was now a luxury. As she looked into her own eyes, Beth's mind raced. Unbidden, unexpected confusing thoughts tumbled through her head. Who am I? Daryl looks at me like I'm a china doll that he's afraid to get to close to. Like he has to protect me all the time. But I'm not the same little farm girl. I'm not helpless anymore. But I'm not a warrior either. Delicate on the outside, tough on the inside. Is that really me? Some sort of bizarre, mutant Barbie/G I Joe? Or maybe a transformer – soft and fragile on the outside, but inside, I'm kickin' ass and taking names! I'm a secret ninja." Beth briefly smiled at her own silliness. What am I doing here? What are **we** doing? What is this strange dance Daryl and I have going on? I think he likes me. Maybe **really** likes me. Maybe it's just part of being stuck together, the two of us, without the rest of our family. Maybe he just feels guilty that…that's not his fault. But he probably still thinks it is. I wish Boy wouldn't growl at him every time he gets near me. What **are** we doing? I wish I could talk to Maggie.

It was another hour before Daryl returned. Beth was sitting on the porch with Boy and a neatly folded pile of clothes in front of her. "Did you find a car?"

"Yeah. What's that for?"

"These are my old clothes, from before. I need to burn them."

"Just leave 'em."

"No. I really have to burn them. Remember when we burned down the moonshine cabin? Well, I'm not the same person who wore these and I just really need to burn them."

Daryl nodded, but didn't say anything. He was remembering how he found her. Wondering what she had to do to survive while they were separated. And he ached for the girl she was. The one who only saw the good in people. The one who wasn't afraid to sing out in front of people. The one who remembered that walkers were people first. The girl who didn't seem to believe that anyone would ever wish her harm.

"I changed and that's a good thing. You can't protect me all the time. I know you want to. But you can't. And you can't spend all your energy worrying about me, either. If we're going to be together, than we have to take care of each other. Not just you taking care of me. You need me to let me take care of you, too."

Daryl looked at her and nodded. "I'll get the gasoline."

With the fire still smoking, they pulled out in the Jeep. Daryl driving, Beth in front, and Boy stretched out on the back bench.

"Look in my pocket. I brought you something."

Beth reached over and fished around in the pocket of Daryl's vest. "Ooh, Chocolate! And…nail polish! Oh I haven't had either of these in, I don't know how long. Thank you, thank you." Beth impulsively hugged Daryl and kissed his cheek with delight at the treats he had brought her. She was secretly pleased when she saw his face flush at her touch.

Daryl drove, Beth chatted. Later he couldn't have repeated anything she said, but he loved the feel of her voice that morning. She seemed upbeat and excited about looking for their family, and it made her voice light and silky. Daryl soaked up her voice like a dry sponge and felt himself relaxing into the car seat.

But, the effortlessness and joy of the drive was short lived and came to a jolting halt. "What the hell!" The empty road suddenly filled with walkers. A chain-gang of walkers, in prison blues, snarling and growling. The chains on their legs dragging the ones that couldn't walk, they took down everything in their path. Stretching across the road, blocking their passage with both bodies and chains. Daryl swerved to miss the walkers, barely keeping the jeep upright. With the road impassable, Daryl tried the turn the jeep around, but the walkers were upon them to fast.

"Come on, we gotta go. It's clear on your side, go! Into the woods. Just keep running, I'll catch you." Almost before Daryl finished, Boy cleared the back window and began jumping, barking and moving away from the jeep. Like lemmings, the walker chain-gang turned, first their heads swiveling, then their bodies, they began following the sound of Boy's barks. Beth and Daryl both scrambled out of the jeep and ran, knives and guns at the ready. Miraculously they made it into the woods, away from the walkers, without having to take out a single one.

Finally stopping, breathing heavily, Beth looked up into Daryl's eyes. "He's gone, isn't he?

Daryl was glad for an excuse to grab her arm and pull her close. The sweet smell of her skin filled his being. "He was a good dog." Still holding her arm, he started walking deeper into the woods. "Come on. We gotta keep moving. This way."

As they silently walked through the woods, Beth mourned the loss of her companion. Daryl tried to focus on the task at hand instead of the memory of how good she smelled. And his internal struggle with wanting to be close to her, and his understanding that she was part of his prison family. He couldn't even think of her like that.

After an hour, they came across a fallen tree. "Daryl can we sit down for a minute? I need to catch my breath. My legs aren't as long as yours are." Daryl hadn't realized how fast he was walking, that they were both out of breath. Beth sank to sit on the tree and hung her head down, almost between her knees. Daryl had his crossbow ready and scoured the woods, looking and listening for threats. A sudden snap of a branch behind him caught his attention.

Daryl whirled around to see Boy prance into view. "Beth." She looked up in time to get a wet kiss. As she caught her breath and began hugging Boy, Daryl saw the sparkle return to her eyes. After a few minutes, Daryl pulled a scrap of something out of his pocket. "Boy." Immediately, Boy pulled away from Beth and went to Daryl to collect a treat and let Daryl scratch his ears.

"Seriously? You're buying his affection?"

"Yeah, well, he picked you. I have to pay him." Beth gave him a weak smile at the idea of Daryl having to pay Boy to be able to pet him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Daryl, tell me the truth. Do you think we'll find them?" Her legs were starting to ache from walking, but it was a good ache. It mostly kept her from thinking about other things. Like whether or not she would ever see Maggie and the rest again. And Daryl. This confusing dance they were doing, this push me – pull you tango. No, actually it was more like I pull you, you run away. Am I that awful, Daryl? Or are you that frightened of letting someone in? I'll find out, you can't hide from me. Even as she walked, a smile crossed her face. And it did not go unnoticed.

"What?"

"Just thinking about Maggie. And Glenn. How happy they are. That's all. Seriously, do you think we'll find them?" Now her eyes were pleading, all light hearted thoughts had vanished.

"Yeah, we'll find them. Just take longer walking." Beth could see in his eyes that he didn't really believe what he was saying. He wanted to, he just didn't. She was moved that he would lie to comfort her.

"We've been walking a long time. Even Boy's getting tired. Can we stop soon? Please?"

"Yeah. Soon as I find a place." The sun was starting to sink a bit. Daryl knew it was time to get out of the open, but he wasn't ready to be alone with Beth. To take a chance on his thoughts or body betraying him. He remembered Hershel's words, 'Everybody has a job to do.' Right now, taking care of Beth was his job. No matter what she said. And he wouldn't let anything compromise that.

The space he found wasn't perfect, but it was protected on two sides with rocks and the trees were set back a bit giving him a good line of vision. Beth started a small fire while Daryl scrounged up some dinner for them. As the sun set, the air got cooler and the ground felt harder.

"It's sort of cold out here. Would you come sit by me? Help me stay warm?"

"Somebody's gotta keep watch."

"Oh come on. I'll give you half the Hershey bar." She thought, bribes work with Boy, who knows.

"Nah, that's for you." Daryl wanted a little distance between them.

"You know, in some cultures, giving someone a whole Hershey bar might be considered a bride price," Beth said quietly, licking her upper lip with her tongue, and smiling. Looking up at Daryl from below her eyelashes, she was secretly pleased with his visible discomfort at her comment.

His face flushed, "Yeah, well. Here it's just chocolate." He scrambled to his feet and grabbed his crossbow. "I'm going to take a walk around. Check things." He couldn't get away from her fast enough. Anymore, all he had to do was hear her voice and he couldn't think clear. That's a dangerous spot with walkers and unfriendlies around. He needed the cool air to clear his head.

With Daryl out of sight, Beth let out a sigh, leaned back and began absentmindedly scratching Boy's head. She hadn't meant to scare him off. She just wanted to get a reaction from him. She wanted to know if he was having the same thoughts she was.

Tired, lost in thought, Beth didn't hear the branches snap. It was Boy who alerted her to the presence of danger. As she stood and peered into woods, a walker emerged from between two trees. Reaching for her knife, Beth sensed a bolt shoot past and the walker abruptly ceased its growling and sank to the ground. Turning, she saw Daryl lower his crossbow.

"I had that." She realized she felt vaguely annoyed that Daryl apparently hadn't trusted her to take care of a single walker.

"I know."

"Then why.."

Daryl shrugged. "Um-mmm." What could he say, it's my job? That wouldn't go over well. "You oughtta get some sleep, girl. I'll take first watch." Hell, he'd take the whole night if it kept her over there, away from him.

Beth lay down on the softest part of the grass, Boy curled up beside her. She was tired and didn't want to argue. "Daryl," she started softly, on the edge of sleep, "why do you call me girl? A girl is a child and I'm not a child."

He listened to her breathing, when it was smooth and even he whispered, "'Cause I like you. A lot." More than he could even admit to himself. Damn, he wished they would find Rick.


	9. Chapter 9

The heat of the early sun beating down on Daryl's eyes brought him out of a deep sleep. With a start he realized that Beth was snuggled up next to him. Sometime during the night, the cold must have brought them together. His right arm was cradling her, as her head rested in the crook of his shoulder. With his left arm he was holding her so close that her leg draped over his. Their bodies molded together. A quick look revealed her hair was down, soft ringlets framing her face, the rest spread out across her back and over his chest. Her fingertips had somehow found their way inside the neck of his shirt. And the smell of her so close filled his very being. He would have been content to lay there with her forever.

He glanced over to see Boy laying near them, his eye open, tongue hanging out, apparently on watch. Satisfied that things were secure for a few more minutes, Daryl exhaled softly and allowed himself to pull Beth even closer, and breathe in her sweetness. Idly he wished that the place he was in, the feeling he had, would never end, but reality broke in.

A nearby rustling caught Daryl's attention. Boy was on his feet and agitated. Daryl extracted himself from Beth, waking her. With two fingers, he motioned for her to be quiet, pointed to the woods and then to the gun bag. Silently, Daryl jumped to his feet and reached for his crossbow, as Beth rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Boy paced restlessly next to her, as she watched Daryl melt into the woods.

Okay, don't forget, don't forget. Uhh, what am I suppose to do? Beth scrambled, reaching into the bag and pulling out an assault rifle. Scooting back against the rocks, she tried to calm herself by focusing on her breathing. Breathe in 2, 3 4, hold 2, 3, 4, breathe out 2, 3, 4, hold 2, 3, 4. Repeat. Don't pull out a gun unless you're ready to use it, 2, 3, 4. Always shoot to kill. Anyone besides Daryl shows up, 2, 3, 4, don't hesitate to kill 'em. One click, one bullet, 2, 3, 4. Hold the trigger for a short burst. Oh God, 2, 3, 4. help me. Boy paced, showing his teeth, as Beth sat crouched against the rocks, staring into the woods, ears straining, gun pointed out. 2, 3, 4.

After what seemed like forever, Daryl walked out of the trees. "Oh thank God you're back. I was so scared." Boy flopped on his belly. "Did you find anything?"

"No, and don't point that at me." Beth quickly laid down the gun, and let out her breath. Even though she had been trying to calm herself by controlling her breathing, she had ended up holding her breath. With the gun laying at her side, Boy crawled into her lap and licked at her face and nosed her hand to get his ears scratched. So much for kicking ass and taking names, she thought, as she buried her face in Boy's neck and let her tears flow. Her hands and back shaking uncontrollably. Breathe, 2, 3, 4.

Daryl would have liked to have comforted her. Sitting there on the ground at his feet, hugging Boy, she looked so small and frightened. But, everybody has a job to do. Better to keep his distance. "I'm going back out, to check things. We leave when I get back. Get ready."

Walking through the woods, Daryl almost wished he would see or hear something, anything. It was easier to take down walkers than to forget the smell of her hair or the feel of her body pressed up against his. The space where her fingertips had touched his chest, just the memory caused him to catch his breath and made his skin burn. He tried focusing on what he was looking at, but he kept mentally replaying images of Beth's hair spread across his chest. So close to him, so vulnerable and trusting. Images of Beth crouched on the ground, crying into Boy's fur. And his own feelings of helplessness and inadequacy in that moment. Of being unable to say or do anything to take away her fear. Knowing that her fear wasn't simply for herself, but that she was also afraid for him. Because she thought she needed to protect **him**. Just the idea was overwhelming. What had he done to deserve this? To deserve her? And what would…Thud.

Sometimes it isn't what you hear, it's the silence. It had been too long. It was to quiet. Daryl should have been back by now, Beth thought to herself. Everything was packed, the fire was out, she'd even had time to comb her hair, tie it back and put in a small braid.

After what seemed like hours, Beth decided to venture into the woods to look for Daryl. It was too long for him to be gone. Maybe he was just hunting, but maybe he was in trouble. She took her knife, tucked her handgun in her belt, and picked up the rife. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "Come on, Boy. Let's go find him."

Instinctively, Boy seemed to know what Beth needed. He headed into the woods with Beth right behind him. After walking for what felt like an hour, Boy stopped. Beth paused, held her breath, pulled the assault rifle closer and stared into the woods. Straining to see or hear anything that might lead her to Daryl.

Before she could see anything, she heard the voice. She could barely make out parts of what they were saying. But it didn't sound good.

"…that little girl…"

"…party tonight…"

Beth crept closer, praying that she wouldn't step on anything that would give her away. As she strained to see through the trees, she saw Daryl on the ground. His crossbow six feet away. Two men were in front of him, guns pointed directly at him, with a third man off to the side with a gun hanging from its strap.

We all have jobs to do, 2, 3, 4. With boldness she didn't feel, Beth pulled herself to her full height, swallowed hard, stepped firmly out from the trees, and announced her arrival. "Y'all having a party? And here I wasn't invited. I'm crushed." At the sound of her voice, the men standing over Daryl turned towards her. As if on cue, Boy began growling and slinking menacingly towards them.

In the second it took her eyes to adjust to the light, Beth realized the man on the left was…a woman? A woman! And for a moment Beth was speechless.

"Yeah, we were watching you two." The woman began, "All sweet and lovey. Gonna give him half your candy bar. Yeah. You didn't seem to be using him honey, and I needed a new playmate. So…"

BOOM! Anger rising from her gut, Beth didn't wait for her to finish. She squeezed the trigger, just one click and prayed – the woman's head snapped backwards as she fell to the ground. Not waiting to see what would happen, Beth squeezed the trigger and held it. A short burst hit the man on the right, 2, 3, 4. Another short burst and the third man fell, 2, 3, 4.

By then, Daryl had his crossbow and was on his feet. "Come on." Grabbing her arm, he ran into the woods taking her and Boy with him. Beth felt like she ran for hours, on legs made of rubber. When Daryl finally slowed down Beth sank to the ground, breathing heavily, shoulders shaking.

"Oh God, what did I do? I was so angry. That anyone would talk about you like that. I just had to..." Her words trailed off, tears started streaming down her face. Leaning into the bushes, her shoulders began to heave as she threw up.

"It's okay. It's okay. Just let it out." Daryl pulled her into his chest, holding her close with one arm, and lightly stroking her hair with his other hand. Gently whispering into her ear, "I never wanted you to have to do that."

Gradually, Beth's shoulders stopped heaving. In a flat voice she said, "We all have jobs to do. That's what Daddy always said. We all have jobs to do."


	10. Chapter 10

Walking. For days it seemed that all they did was get up and walk. In silence. And when the sun started to set, they stopped. But no one slept. And the chasm …. between them … widened.

Daryl kept watch until early morning, when he simply could no longer keep his eyes open. Then he drifted off into fitful sleep. Beth distanced herself from him, avoiding his eye by day and watching him from under her eyelashes as she pretended to sleep at night. Boy became increasingly agitated, until by the third day all he did was growl at Daryl and watch Beth from a distance. Refusing to allow even her to touch him.

Morning, the fourth day. It was overcast, making it cooler than the previous days. "Here." Daryl tried handing his jacket to Beth, inadvertently brushing her arm with his fingers. And she jumped as if she had been burned.

"Don't!" Boy snarled and Beth moved even further away from him.

"What?"

"It's been four days and you haven't said a word. You act like nothing happened. What's wrong with you?" Her words were like an unexpected slap.

Immediately Daryl knew what Beth was talking about. "What's to talk about? You and Boy came in like the Calvary and saved the day. What else is there?" His voice was thick with accusation and defensiveness.

"Came in like the Calvary? I didn't want to save the day! I didn't want to do that. Daryl, I killed those people like they were…nothing. I didn't even think about it." Beth felt the sting of his attack, and found her regret over her own actions buried under defensive maneuvering.

"Well, you didn't need to. You shouldn't have been there. I had it." His eyes narrowed, his words stung_. _

"Well it didn't look like you had it. I don't, I just…" Her words trailed off, in a jumble of confusion.

"Look!" Daryl's anger flashed, and he began stamping towards her, pointing his index finger in her face. "You should've stayed in camp. If you're worried, just do what I told you. Back to the wall. Gun out. Shoot anybody who's not me. Simple. You shouldn't oughta be out running around the woods by yourself. You're lucky things went down the way they did." His voice was dark, accusatory.

"So that's it? That's what you're worried about? That I showed up? That I took care of you?" Beth found herself backing away. The darkness in Daryl's eyes beginning to frighten her. Her father had never raised his voice, no matter how angry he was.

"I told you, I never wanted you to have to do that." As if he sensed her sudden fear of him, Daryl's voice softened a little. "And, I never want you to have to do that again. Just, do what I tell you." Boy settled between them. Watching them both closely, as if he were a referee.

Beth sank to the ground, wrapping her arms around her legs and pulling her knees up to her chin, as hot tears began to course down her face. "I killed those people."

Her tears startled him, causing his heart and voice to melt. He ached to physically reach out to her, but was afraid of what her reaction would be. "Beth, they were bad people, really bad. They were coming for you. Don't be sad they're dead." Looking down at her, she looked so small and helpless, he felt his stomach begin to knot.

"Daryl, is that my job now? Killing people like that?" Her voice was soft and hesitant, "I don't know if I can do that."

He fumbled for the right words, any words that would make things right between them. Anything that would ease her guilt, soothe her conscience. "It's a different world, Beth. Sometimes you have to do things that are ugly just to survive. But, what you do," sigh, "that's not who you are."

She looked up at him, wiping her wet, boogery face on the back of her hand. A sad smile working its way across her face. Boy, sensing a shift, came to her side, licked her hands and pushed his head into her lap. Daryl slowly sat down near her, with Boy between them. "I'm sorry," Beth whispered.

"Yeah." Awkwardly, Daryl reached across Boy and rubbed her back, his eyes never leaving her face. Several minutes passed, "come on, we gotta go." He scrambled up, pulling her to her feet. "Come on, we're getting outta these woods. We need to find a house to stay in for a couple nights. We need to rest. I want a soft bed to sleep in. A big tub to soak in." Searching her face, he asked "We good?"

"Yeah, we're good."


	11. Chapter 11

The sun was high, and they were all exhausted as they trudged along the road. The combination of heat and exhaustion making them all a little loopy.

"Daryl, do you remember that time on the farm, when Rick said that no one could go out and look for Sophia with you, that you would have to go out alone that day. And you said it was better that way." Lack of sleep was inflaming Beth's insecurities. She knew that since leaving the farm she had changed, but she still wasn't a survivalist. And without Daryl, she probably would have starved to death, been eaten by walkers or worse by now. "Do you wish you were by yourself now?" Even as she asked, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"What the hell? Why do you even ask that?" He'd never understand what she was thinking, so why try. They walked in silence for another hour, until a pickup truck pulled up behind them. As the truck slowed, Daryl signaled for Beth to get her gun and stay behind him. He checked his crossbow and watched as a man and woman exited the cab and began walking towards them, their own guns drawn.

Y'all look familiar. Did we see you on the road a couple weeks ago?" The two men began exchanging information, each trying to figure out who the other was.

"Yeah."

"Where you been."

"Moving around."

"Why?"

"Looking for her sister."

"You find her?"

"No."

"Still you three?"

"Yeah."

The man and woman looked back and forth at each other, the woman nodded. "If you need a place for a few days, you can come with us, get yourself together." The man offered, his gun still trained on Daryl.

Daryl glanced at Beth, then they both looked down at Boy, who was immodestly rolling on his back, with a big smile on his face and his tongue hanging out. He was their canary, uncanny at nosing out trouble. If Boy was this relaxed and happy, they were satisfied. "Yeah. Maybe a few days. To rest and shit." Daryl started, lowering his crossbow and nodding to Beth to lower her gun.

"I'm Jeff. This is BJ." The man and woman relaxed a bit and smiled, BJ nodded.

Without missing a beat, "Daryl and Beth…Dixon." And with a nod towards the happy dog who was stretched out in the dirt at Beth's feet. "This is Boy."

BJ smiled, and started to ask, "So, are you two…"

"Married. Beth's my wife."

"Hmm, okay. Well, climb in, our place is just down the road a piece."

"Thanks. Come on." He motioned to Beth to walk with him, as they followed Jeff and BJ back to the truck and climbed into the back of the truck bed. Boy happily hopped in and settled between them.

"That was a quick wedding." Beth whispered, as the truck began to move.

"Yeah, safer that way." The ride lasted about 40 minutes, then they pulled up to a wrought iron gate which was guarded by four men and attached to a six foot high brick wall. The gate opened, the truck pulled in and Daryl and Beth, both looked over the side of the truck at a circle of houses inside the wall. And then back at each other.

Apparently it had been a gated community of McMansions. Each house seemed larger than the next, and yet they all looked the same. Out front various people were sitting, talking, and all of them turning to look at the truck as it pulled around the circle. When it finally came to a stop, Daryl hopped out, and then helped Beth out.

With Boy at their feet, Daryl and Beth looked around, as several people made their way towards them. Jeff and BJ appeared from the front of the truck and began introductions, "This is Tia, Seth, Jordan." And more people, whose names they wouldn't remember. "Daryl and Beth are going to be here for a while. Tia, would you help them find a room?"

A petite blonde stepped up and waved a hand towards them, "Come on, this way. I'm glad you're here. And what a nice dog. We don't have any pets yet." She babbled on as Daryl and Beth followed her inside one of the houses, up the stairs, to a medium sized room with a large bed in the middle. "You can have this room. You look sort of tired, if you want to rest before dinner, there's time. And, there is a bathroom right over here. Just cold water. But, Beth, if you want to come with me, house 4 has its own electricity and hot water. Usually we have a set day when we can go over and take a hot bath or shower. But, seeing how you just got here, you can get a hot shower right now. Daryl, sorry, you have to wait until your day. But you can still get a cold shower or bath if you want. And, I guess the dog will have to sleep with you. I hope that's okay?"

Daryl just stared, Beth mumbled. "Um, yeah, thanks. Maybe we'll just lay down for a bit."

"Okay! Dinner is in an hour. I'll come back and get you. Bye-bye." Tia turned and bounced down the hall, down the steps, and out the door.

Alone behind their own closed door, "Oh my gosh. I haven't heard that much perkiness in forever. Do I sound like that? Please say I don't sound like that." Beth dropped her pack, closed her eyes and sank onto the bed. "Oh, this feels wonderful. Daryl, Daryl? Where are you?" Sitting back up, she opened her eyes and looked around.

Daryl was standing at the side of the window, staring outside. Beth started, "I have a good feeling about this place. Boy is all happy, so… Please stop worrying, just for a minute and come lay down. You'll feel better." Daryl sighed, turned, and started to settle down on the floor next to the bed.

"Daryl, this is a big bed. It's big enough for both of us." She waved a hand at Daryl to join her on the bed.

"No, I'm good." He did not want any distractions. This was not the time to be letting down his guard. After Woodbury and the governor, he wanted to make sure he didn't miss anything.

0

The next morning, Tia took the three of them on a little tour, her explanation accompanied by enthusiastic hand gestures. "So, there are five houses in all. Each one has four or five bedrooms. Each family has their own room. This is house 4. It's awesome! The people who lived here must have wanted to get off the grid. There are solar panels out back which provide enough electricity so that most days it has electric lights, hot water, and the refrigerator and freezer both work. And sometimes, the washing machine. Love clean clothes! It also has a greenhouse with these fancy pole pots, so it grows even more than most greenhouses. We have a lot of vegetables in there, and even some strawberries. There's also a chicken coop, but we haven't found any chickens yet. Of course, until yesterday, we didn't have any pets either and now we have a dog." She finished with a smile.

"Boy is Beth's dog. Just Beth. So, how long y'all been here?"

"I think it's been about six months so far. I've only been here four months. It saved my life! I lost my family right away, and the group I was with…" Beth's head was starting to ache at the avalanche of information and Tia's non-stop voice.

Daryl interrupted, "So, who's in charge?"

"Hmm… I guess the picnic table crew is in charge. Most of the time we all just pitch in and do whatever needs to be done. But if there are any decisions to be made, then" Tia gestured to a group of about 7 men sitting at a picnic table in the center of the oval. "I guess they would make the decisions."

"Uh huh." Daryl looked over at the picnic table, storing the information.

"There you are!" BJ came up to disrupt the tour, and sweep them both away, in different directions.. "Daryl, are you pretty good with that crossbow? Now that you've had a night to rest, Jeff thought maybe you could help him keep watch on the wall for a couple hours. And, Beth, I could use your help fixing dinner. What do you say?" With that, Jeff materialized, whispered a few words, and with a look at Beth, Daryl started over towards the wall with him.

Beth watched Daryl walk away, with a sinking feeling. They hadn't been around so many people for a while and she didn't like the way they were being separated, as if they had no say in the matter. BJ caught her arm at the elbow and began walking her across the oval in the opposite direction, talking all the way. As they passed the picnic table crew, Boy suddenly let out a low, quiet growl. Beth looked in their direction, but none of the seated men returned her gaze. BJ appeared not to notice, and kept on chatting.

After several minutes, they joined some other women, who were sitting at an outside table peeling potatoes and trimming carrots. Beth's head was swimming from the combination of an overload of information and her discomfort at being separated from Daryl in this still strange place. Looking down, she saw Boy at her feet, still at attention, staring in the direction of the picnic table crew.

"You two must be newlyweds."

Beth giggled, thinking 'if you only knew' but simply asked "How could you tell."

BJ looked up at her, a slow smile working itself across her face. "Well, his eyes never leave you. If you step out of his line of sight, even for any instant, he starts getting a little antsy. Looking around, shifting from side to side. And when he sees you again, he looks at you like he's hungry, like you're something good to eat." BJ stopped what she was doing to look across the circle at Daryl, "Nobody has watched me like that, well, since before the turn."

Something in BJ's tone caused the hair on the back of Beth's neck to stand up on end, and she forced a smile, saying "Yes. I am a lucky woman."


	12. Chapter 12

"Well?" Beth whispered, as she sat on the bed in the dark. Her knees were pulled up to her chin and her arms were wrapped around her legs. Unlit candles were scattered around the room, Boy lay against the closed door watching her every movement.

"I don't know. Something don't feel right. Um mm." His voice quiet, Daryl was standing in the shadows again, looking out the window. Not sure what he was looking for, but unwilling to back away in case he missed something.

"Did you notice, there's no lock on the door." Her discomfort in that fact obvious. Daryl stepped from the window, nudged Boy with his foot to make him move, and then pushed a dresser in front of the door.

"There. It won't keep someone out who really wants in, but it will slow 'em down. Lemme see your knife." Daryl tested the blade, "It needs sharpened. Remind me in the morning. Keep it under your pillow while you sleep." Beth's eyes grew round at that suggestion.

"You're scaring me a little. Should I be worried? Are we…safe here?" The pretty room they were in suddenly felt oppressive, threatening even. It was as if the very walls had begun closing in around her, making it hard for her to breathe.

He forced what passed as a smile, "Don't worry. I'm right here. That's just a precaution, you know. Can't be too careful." Moving away from the window, he picked up Boy and set him on the bed. "Here. He'll let you know when to worry."

"You can't look out that window all night. Where are you going to sleep?"

Daryl looked at the floor. "Right here."

"Don't do that. There's plenty of room up here, and Boy is used to sleeping on the floor. Pleeease."

"No, this better. I want to keep watch a while longer. You go to sleep." There was no way he was going to sleep in the same bed with Beth. It didn't matter what he had told them about their relationship, he knew the truth. And sleeping next to her would just be too dangerous.

Reluctantly, Beth palmed her knife under the pillow and lay down in the bed. It was certainly soft, and the sheets were so smooth against her cheek. Almost against her will she found herself relaxing. Boy cuddled up next to her, and it wasn't long before her breathing was deep and even.

When he was sure that she was sleeping, Daryl quietly moved the dresser and headed outside. The night sky was devoid of all sound and dark as a nightmare. Moving silently in the shadows, knife in hand, he crept around the outside of the house looking for lights and listening for voices. He was searching for anything that would give him a better idea who these people were. After skulking around the outside of each of the houses to no avail, he headed out to the wall, where he knew several men would be on watch. Maybe he could catch some of their conversation and figure out what was going on here. To see behind the curtain and catch any secrets that were meant to be hidden.

Standing in the shadows, Daryl spotted four men patrolling the wall. He recognized two of them from the picnic table crew and one from his own watch earlier. Straining he was able to catch the low, intermittent growl of voices, but not the words. Nothing he would be able to use. After listening and observing for about an hour, he headed back, knowing that he had done everything he could for one night. Slipping into their room, he listened for Beth's steady breathing before stretching out on the floor and allowing sleep to claim him.

Morning came to soon, the knock on the door accompanied by a cheerful, "Good morning! Time to get up!" Daryl stretched and groaned. He didn't mind the floor, but it always left him feeling stiff and sore. Something he would never admit to Beth. As he sat up, Boy bounded over to lick his face. Daryl wasn't convinced that Boy's new found affection for him, still second to his devotion to Beth, was always a good thing.

Beth was already up and dressed, waiting for him. "You went out last night, didn't you?" she whispered.

Nodding, "I didn't see anything, but something's just not right. Remember, we don't really know anything about these people, so be careful. (sighs) Let's go." With Boy at their heels, they descended the stairs and went outside. People were already gathering and dividing, the day was in full swing. Leaning in close, Daryl quietly instructed her to "Pay attention to anything that seems off. Take Boy and try to stay where I can see you. Okay?" Beth nodded and wandered over to where BJ, Tia, and some of the other women were seated.

"Being out on the road must have really worn you two out. Once you went to bed nobody heard another peep out of you." BJ smiled broadly at Beth over her breakfast.

Straining to see, as Daryl's back disappeared from sight, Beth only half heard what BJ was saying to her. "Worn out? I don't understand."

With a sly wink, BJ responded "Oh come on, for newlyweds you two have been pretty quiet. You know, the walls are sort of thin here, and sound travels. Living this close together you don't have many secrets."

A deep crimson blush flooded Beth's face as she realized what BJ was implying. "Oh, well…" BJ let out a throaty laugh at Beth's helpless embarrassment. And Beth began studying her lap.

Daryl returned and handed Beth her knife. With a big gulp of air, she reached up, put her hands on both sides of his face, pulled it towards her and softly kissed his lips. "Thank you, husband." She murmured smiling up at him, silently praying that BJ did not notice the momentary 'what the hell was that' look that crossed his face. Standing, she excused herself from the group, and walked off with Daryl, intertwining her fingers with his.

After they had walked a suitable distance, Beth looked up at him, beamed her brightest smile, and whispered "newlyweds, remember?" Daryl nodded, tightened his grip on her hand and smiled down at her.

It wasn't long before BJ and Tia reappeared to drag Beth and Boy off to help with planting flowers around the front of the houses. While Jeff scooped up Daryl to help repair a storage shed in the opposite direction. It was a long, physically demanding day for both of them. And despite their best efforts, they weren't able to maintain eye contact. But, they did have a chance to talk to their "new friends."

That evening, after the community dinner, they found a spot apart from the rest of the group, where they could sit together in the grass and talk, just the two of them.

Speaking quietly and holding both of his hands with hers, Beth began "Daryl, there are bodies buried out back. I asked about that spot in back where the grass is dead, and Tia told me that she heard that was where they had buried some bodies. But she didn't know whose bodies they were." Knowing they were being watched, Beth tried to keep her face light and smiling as she shared this tidbit of information.

"Probably the original owners. When part of the picnic table crew showed up, this place was still buttoned up tight, with the original owners still living here. The PT crew suggested they could all live here together, but…. They said the owners decided to just move on. I'll bet they moved on to one of those graves." Even in the dark, Beth could see Daryl's eyes narrow and hear the concern in his voice as he spoke. A whine from Boy alerted them to Jeff and BJ's approach. "Y'all are just in time. My wife sings like an angel. Beth, sing something pretty for us."

An hour later, they were finally able to break away and head up to their own room. With the door closed and the dresser blocking it, they were finally able to relax. Daryl pulled a blanket from the bed and started to spread it on the floor.

"Daryl!" Beth whispered frantically, "You can't sleep on the floor. I think they're spying on us, or at least listening. BJ said that for newlyweds we were awfully quiet last night."

A look of confusion momentarily crossed his face, "What? To quiet? What's that….oh." And with a spreading grin, he hopped on the side of the bed, and began bouncing up and down causing it to squeak. "Come 'ere girl," he loudly crowed, and began hitting her with a pillow.

Beth couldn't contain her giggles and delight at Daryl's quick response, and joyfully pelted him back with her own pillow. "You're going to pay for that!"


	13. Chapter 13

Morning came too soon. Daryl woke up to find Beth cradled in his arms, her leg draped over his, her smell intoxicating. And all he wanted to do was lay there and breathe her in. To feel the velvety softness of the skin on the back of her neck. To memorize every bit of her laying there cuddled up next to him. To think about the feel of her lips on his, and how her hand fit in his the previous day. This is wrong, he thought. I should never have slept in this bed. We keep up this game much longer, and we're going to have to get married for real. Just five more minutes, and I'll get up.

Closing his eyes, he thought about his patrol the previous night. After Beth had fallen asleep, he had once again crept out to look around. He needed the cover of night to check out the area where the supposed graves were. What he found was someone lightheartedly whistling in the moonlight as he dug what appeared to be another one. The apparent disconnect between the grave digging and the whistling was eerily disturbing. Something wicked was definitely going on out there.

As he continued to turn over in his mind what he had witnessed, there was a cheerful knock on the door and a young man called out. "Everybody up! The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day! Time to get up!" Briskly rolling Beth over, he quickly sat up, and with a tenderness only Beth ever saw, he pulled the blanket up over her and pushed her hair back from her face.

X

Beth grabbed the tennis ball before she headed downstairs. She hadn't spent any time really playing with Boy since they had arrived, and they both missed it. Finding a clear spot, away from the others who were eating breakfast, she began a game of chase. From the corner of her eye, she saw Daryl come outside and begin watching her and Boy from the edge of the yard. Knowing he was close, she was able to relax as she played with her white dog. Boy jumped around excitedly, begging and chasing the ball as Beth threw it. And soon, her joyful laughter began attracting more attention.

From the picnic table crew, she heard the call, "Hey girl, come over here." Startled, Beth turned to see a tall man, with black hair and chiseled features gesturing to her. Slowly, she forced a smile she didn't feel and began walking towards him. As she got closer she was struck by how tall and muscular he was. In another life she would have been attracted to him. He was younger than Daryl and clean shaven, and both arms were covered with a sleeve of intricate tattoos. As she surveyed his arm art, she was aware of Boys increased agitation and the start of a growl. Stroking Boy's head, she looked up and realized that the man's eyes were roaming over her body. Visually assaulting her. "What are you doing, girl?" His voice smooth and oily, causing her discomfort to increase exponentially.

"Beth. My name is Beth."

"Uh huh. Nice dog. You have fun last night, girl? Play a little slap and tickle?" Despite the smile he had worked up, his tone was predatory. Beth fought the urge to turn and run, and instead surreptitiously moved her hand to the hilt of her knife. Standing still, she simply looked at the man who had been speaking, 2, 3, 4. Focusing on maintaining her composure, 2, 3, 4. And appearing noncommittal, 2, 3, 4. Then sensing his approach, before he was even upon her, 2, 3, 4, she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders and she looked up with a genuine smile.

"Hello husband."

"Hey Girl. What's goin' on here?" Looking from Beth to the man who was still staring at her, Daryl was on point before he even reached her. No one should look at her like that. Ever.

"We were just getting to know each other. Isn't that right, girl?" Slowly, the man pulled his eyes away from Beth and looked over at Daryl. A lazy, challenging look settled on his face.

Daryl's face hardened. His eyes narrowed. "I think you know her well enough. Come on Beth."

As Daryl turned and started to lead Beth away, the man's voice floated over their heads. "I'll see **you** later, girl." Daryl slowed, debating turning and going back. He didn't like the way the man looked at Beth. He didn't like the way he talked to Beth. He didn't like what he was insinuating. He didn't like anything about him. If they had still been on the road, this would have been a different conversation. Hell, if he had planned on staying more than another two nights, this conversation would have had a different ending.

X

After breakfast, Daryl found himself sitting next to Jeff by a small fire. After a bit, Jeff sat back on his heels, stared into the fire, and without looking at Daryl quietly said, "You both seem like decent people. This is a great place. It's pretty secure. It's comfortable. Most of the folks who have found their way here are great. But, some…" Jeff looked down, sighed, and looked back at the fire. "Dan's rough. He feels entitled. And he likes blondes. You're smart to stay close." Shrugging his shoulders, he finally turned to look at Daryl, "I'm just sayin..."

Jeff's comments confirmed Daryl's opinion. People hadn't changed after the turn, the turn simply revealed who they really were. And scumbags like Dan had fewer and fewer places to hide. Especially when they were surrounded by good people.

X

As they walked over to house #4, Beth excitedly whispered, "Just think, hot water! You know, all the electricity that heats the water is from the solar panels, and they have to conserve it, so married people get two 15 minute times, back to back, and I was thinking…"

Shaking his head, smiling down at her, "Go ahead. Take the full 30 minutes. I'll just wait for you downstairs."

Beth was looking forward to having a hot bath. House #4 was the first house they had been in besides the one their room was in. As they walked in Beth looked around at the parlor to the right of the front door, and spotted a baby grand piano. "Ooh! Did you know there was a piano here?" Beth squealed. She hadn't had the opportunity to play since they were at the funeral home, and she missed it.

"Maybe you can play and sing some tonight. I'm just going to wait right in here. Boy can guard the door for you." It was definitely a woman's room, very frou-frou, and Daryl felt out of place even sitting on the edge of a flowery sofa. Meanwhile, Beth went up the stairs and gave Boy some kisses on the top of his head before going in to run her bath. It was an old fashioned style tub, very deep and long. She sank in all the way up to her chin, the hot water felt so good, so relaxing, her eyelids began to sink as all her cares and concerns melted away.

It was into the peaceful silence that Boy growled. Just for a moment. Then she heard the scrabble of his nails on the floor. Sitting up, she strained to hear what was going on on the other side of the door. But the hall was silent. The only sound she heard for what seemed like several minutes was her own shallow breathing. And then, footsteps, stopping outside the door. And suddenly, the doorknob began to rattle and she heard the sound of someone trying to unlock the door, sticking something metal into the lock and jiggling it, 2, 3, 4. She hurriedly reached over the side of the tub for her knife, 2, 3, 4. Standing, eyes round with fear, she began trying to cover herself with a towel 2, 3, 4, even before she had climbed out of the tub. With a hoarse voice, which couldn't have belonged to her, she called out. "Is someone there?" 2, 3, 4.

Waiting, the sounds of a scuffle reached her ears. And muffled voices. Finally out of the tub, wrapped in the towel, she knelt on the floor 2, 3, 4. The knife clutched to her chest, she pressed her ear against the door. Her heart was pounding in her head, 2, 3, 4, as she held her breath and strained to hear what was happening on the other side of the door 2, 3, 4. The sound of growls and groans and scraping came through the door, and finally in a rough, angry voice "…you miserable piece of shit!" A few more groans and sickly moans seeped through, followed by the sound of something on the wooden steps, and then the hall was silent.

Standing, Beth hurriedly pulled her clothes back on, never putting her knife down. Opening the door an inch, she peeked outside. Seeing no one, she quickly crept down the stairs to the parlor where Daryl was seated on the flowery sofa. He had that hardened look on his face again. With a quaking voice she whispered, "I think someone tried to come in…." As she spoke she realized his knuckles were scraped and he had the beginning of a black eye. "What happened? Where's Boy?"

Without saying a word, Daryl stood and she followed him out into the sunshine. Jeff was standing in the grass in the front of the house, leaning on a rake. As they got closer, Beth noticed he had a swollen bottom lip, and she saw Daryl give him the slightest of nods. A little further out, in a plastic lawn chair was the man from earlier in the day, the one who had called her over when she was playing with Boy. His head was in his hands and he was looking down at the ground. Storming over to him, Daryl grabbed his upper arm and pulled him half out of the chair. His voice was rough and angry, "You got something you want to say to Beth?" Daryl's grip on the man's arm tightened.

Without looking up, he mumbled, "Sorry."

"What was that? She couldn't hear you." Daryl growled, dropping him and cuffing him on the side of the head.

"I'm sorry I bothered your bath. It won't happen again." He looked up long enough for Beth to see that his face and mouth were bloodied. And despite his words, she could hear his rage.

"And where the hell is her dog?" Daryl's eyes flashed with anger.

"Upstairs bedroom." Daryl looked over his shoulder, and Jeff dropped the rake and hurried into the house. A minute later Boy bounded out followed by Jeff. Boy excitedly jumped on Beth for a second, and then began advancing on the seated man, with a low guttural growl and teeth barred.

Leaning down, with his face just inches from the seated man, in a low, threatening voice Daryl hissed "You stay the hell away from my family, you hear me?" Straightening, he turned to look at Beth and Boy, who was still threatening the man. Catching Beth's eyes, his look and voice softened. "Dumb ass. Can't even pick a $2 lock. Come on, Girl. Boy! Let's go." And wraping his arm around Beth's shoulders, the three of them walked off.


	14. Chapter 14

As they walked back towards their own house and their own room, Beth kept her eyes down so Daryl wouldn't see the look in them. A look of relief mixed with pride. Relief at what didn't happen, that could have. Pride at who she was with. Pride at who he was as a man. "I'm not going to ask what happened, but thank you."

Daryl pulled her to a stop and turned to look her in the face. "Hey, aren't you the one who told me that we have to take care of each other? Right? Sometimes you take care of me. And sometimes I take care of you. Today it was my turn." And besides that, it's my job. Everybody has a job to do, and taking care of my family is my job.

Suddenly, impulsively, Beth reached up and hugged him. Whispering in his ear, "I'm so glad you were there."

Flushing, Daryl slowly hugged her back. "Me too." Stepping back, pushing off from her arms, he added, "You ought to talk to Jeff. He told me who Dan was. I already knew, but he confirmed it. He was there. He saw Dan go in the back and came around and told me." Smiling, more to himself than at Beth, "He caught one of Dan's fists with his face."

Beth nodded, remembering Daryl's nod to Jeff. Jeff's swollen lip. How Jeff went in to rescue Boy. Maybe Jeff and BJ could be trusted. Maybe they really could be friends. "That's his name, Dan?" His face flashed back into her mind. "I'll be careful around him."

"You don't have to. We aint't staying. We're getting' out of here. Tonight."

"What?" With genuine surprise, Beth suddenly had to hurry to keep up with Daryl as he started back towards their house. "When did you decide that? Don't I get a say?"

"No. Keep walking."

XXXXXXXX

"Come on, get your shit, we're getting out of here, tonight." Daryl continued muttering under his breath, as he threw stuff in his pack. "These people are crazy. Rather beat off walkers than put up with this shit. At least you know what walkers are goin' do."

"Daryl, we just got here. Can't we stay just a few more days? I forgot how much I like living inside. And I don't like carrying a gun all the time. I mean, I understand the knife, but I don't like carrying a gun. Please?" (pause) "Can we at least talk about it?" Beth was not ready to go back on the road. And she didn't like being ordered around.

Daryl looked down at Boy who was rolling around on his back, with his tongue hanging out. At least someone seemed to be having a good day. "Listen, there is something going on here. And we're not waiting around to find out what it is. Soon as it's dark, we're going over a back wall and getting out of here."

Memories of Woodbury and the governor were still fresh, for both of them. "Okay."

XXXXXXXX

It was just after dawn. Daryl and Beth had been walking for hours, when they heard the sound of the truck coming up behind them. The same truck they had encountered a few days earlier. The same two people getting out. But this time, no one was on point, no one had their guns drawn, no one was hiding on the side of the road. "What are you guys doing out here?" Daryl quizzically looked from Jeff to BJ, and back at Beth.

After exchanging looks, Jeff swallowed hard, "We want to go with you. We can't stay there any longer. You were right to leave. And, frankly, we can't go back."

Always skeptical, Daryl asked "Why? Why can't you go back?"

With a smile, Jeff shared, "Before we left, we loaded up the truck with gas, guns, ammo, and supplies."

BJ added, "Enough that they'll probably come looking for us when they figure it out."

"Then let's get off the road and talk." Piling into the truck, the cab and the bed, they took off.

XXXXXXXX

The sun was beginning to set before they finally stopped. Beth started a small fire and strung some cans, while Daryl scouted the area and brought back a couple squirrels. All without saying a word to each other, or Jeff and BJ. Finally, Beth and Daryl were ready to sit down and hear what their new friends had to say.

Boy nosed his way into Beth's lap, as she began, "Well? Why did you leave? And what makes you think you want to come with us?"

BJ looked from Beth to Daryl, and back to Beth, "There's things' going on there that just aren't right. Beth you had the Dan problem. Believe me, you were lucky."

"You must mean I'm lucky to have such a good man, that Daryl was there watching out for me. Not…"

"I mean, Dan liked Tia. And now, Tia's gone. I think she's dead. I think he's responsible. And I don't think she's the first." Beth could hear the hesitation and fear in BJ's voice.

Daryl starred at Jeff, as he addressed BJ. "That's a serious accusation. How confident are you about that?"

Jeff responded, "It's part of why we're not going back. No matter what you say, we're not going back there."

Nodding his head slowly, "Okay. So, if you do come with us, um, have you spent any time on the road? It's not easy. Sleeping in the dirt. Scrounging for food. Always on watch for walkers or unfriendlies."

"Unfriendlies?"

"People. People are a bigger threat than walkers."

BJ smiled a dark smile, "Yeah, we get that. Now."

Daryl continued, "You ever kill any walkers?" Or people?" He was looking at their new friends with skepticism. Jeff was a tall, thin man with thinning dark hair in his mid thirties. BJ was the exact opposite, shorter than Beth, and very curvy. Compared to Beth and Daryl, they both looked soft and ill equipped for the harshness of life on the road.

Without answering Daryl's questions, which was an answer in itself, and looking first at Daryl and then at Beth, Jeff slowly asked "Have you killed any people?"

With a small tight smile, Beth said "Well aside from when we were attacked at the prison, um, yeah. I've had to kill people. To save us. Since we've been on the road, I've had to kill four people."

The slightest hint of a smile crossed Daryl's face. "**Had** to kill four? Well, you had to kill one. The other three…."

"What? You don't think I had to kill those other three. Oh, that's right, you had that. Pfft." Beth patted Daryl's leg with her hand. "Okay, I had to kill one. We don't agree about the other three. So…" Beth's good natured smile washed over Daryl, and his eyes softened as he looked back at her. "You know, we're not really married." She shared.

BJ laughed, "Honey, everybody knew you weren't really married. No one looks at their wife the way he looks at you."

Into the laughter Daryl quietly announced, "Well, that settles it, you're with us now. Come on Jeff, we're on watch."

**A/N So this was sort of a transitional chapter. Originally I thought I would write 3, maybe 4 chapters. But here we are at 14. **

**I write to please myself, but I confess, I have enjoyed seeing that others have read this. And some of you are following it. Wow. Thank you.**

**I am flattered and always enjoy hearing from you. Blessings.**


	15. Learning Curve

The moon was full when Daryl finally came back to camp. He had released Jeff from watch duty an hour or so earlier. Jeff and BJ were both fitfully dozing, unused to sleeping outside with just a blanket between them and the cold bed of the truck. Beth had been lying on the ground on a blanket with Boy, not even feigning sleep, just waiting for Daryl to return. As he came into view, she jumped up and walked out to meet him.

"How did things go? Any activity out there?" Beth whispered, as they sat down together at the very edge of their camp. It was as far from the truck where Jeff and BJ were sleeping as they could get and still be 'in' the camp. "Okay, the real question, how did Jeff do on watch?" Daryl shook his head sadly.

"He didn't know what to look for. What to listen for. He's never even killed a walker. All those times we saw him with guns, I don't think he's ever even fired one. Beth smiled and bit her lip to keep from laughing. "I'm not sure he knows how to load one. How about BJ?"

"They must have always been with big groups. I went through some of what they brought and found a knife for her. And then I had to show her how to carry it. We never even got to how to hold it or use it. She's worse than I was when we left the farm." At this point, Beth could no longer control her giggling as she continued to describe in detail her basic survival training session with BJ. Even Daryl began chuckling at how inept their new friends were at living on the road. "We're in trouble here, aren't we? They can't hunt, track, build a fire, or kill walkers. I may not have many survival skills, but they have zero."

Even as they quietly laughed at their friends' lack of skills, Daryl was inwardly groaning. It would be a while before they could be trusted to take watch on their own. Or even to be left on their own. Not just because they wouldn't see or recognize approaching danger. But because they wouldn't know what to do if something dangerous turned up. And even if they knew what to do, they wouldn't be proficient enough to do it. At least not consistently.

At some point, as they talked and laughed together, Beth realized that they were holding hands. With each other. Not just her holding onto Daryl's hand. And he wasn't pulling away or fidgeting. She didn't remember how or when that happened, but it seemed to feel natural for both of them. So it was with reluctance that Beth finally asked "How long will we be able to continue like this?" On the road everyone had to contribute and everyone had to participate, for everyone to survive.

"I dunno. Let's hope they're fast learners."

XXXXXXXX

Dawn came to soon. Beth stretched out, wiggling her toes, flexing her ankles. With a slight movement of her right hand, she found Boy's head snuggled up next to her side, he was firmly wedged between her and Daryl. Idly scratching his head, she smiled to herself and thought about the day ahead. It had been painfully obvious the previous night that Jeff and BJ not only had no skills, they had no grace. Nothing was going to come easily for them. And there was a lot for them to learn if they wanted to survive. Probably starting with guns and knives.

After a quick breakfast, Daryl headed off with Jeff to work on gun stuff, saying something about doing some dry-fire practice, and then working with real ammo. While Beth gave BJ her first defensive training session by showing her what to do if she needed to defend herself in camp, against people.

"So, that's it. Just a few simple rules. First, never get a gun out unless you are going to use it. Then, back against the wall, that's so nobody can sneak up on you. Only point at things you're willing to destroy. Always shoot to kill. And don't shoot us! It's really pretty easy. Daryl tells us when we need to get the guns out and he'll show you how to use them later. So what did you do before the turn?" As important as knife and gun training was, Beth was really excited about having another woman in camp, as a friend. And she was eager to get to know her better.

"I was a chef in an organic restaurant. Everything was locally grown. I used to go out a couple times of week and get fresh items. Actually, there are a lot of edible weeds in these woods. If you want I can show you."

"Okay but before we go out, get your knife. I'll show you how to use it to kill walkers. And maybe we can practice while we're out there." Until that moment, Beth hadn't realized how proficient she had become with her own knife. Where it was once something that she didn't' even like to hold, now it was normal for her to have it. BJ pulled out her knife, and Beth grimaced at how slowly and clumsily she seemed to hold it. "I thought you were a chef? Didn't you have to use a knife?"

BJ replied sheepishly, "Sure, but I only used knifes to cut vegetables and things that were already dead. Not things that were trying to kill me." After a lesson in holding and using a knife to take down walkers, Boy and the two women went out into the woods to look for edible weeds.

Their time in the woods scavenging edible weeds went by quickly, as BJ shared which plants were safe to eat, and which plants weren't. The sun was high when Beth heard the distinctive sounds of growls and moans that had to come from a walker. With Boy growling quietly by her side, Beth shushed BJ behind a tree and looked around to see how many walkers there were.

Quietly she said, "There's only one. Time to practice. I'll be right behind you, just in case. Go on, you can do this." And with a little push, BJ hesitantly went after the one walker. Coming closer, with a big gulp of air, she plunged her knife into its eye, all the way up to the hilt. Letting, out her breath, she pulled out her knife, and plunged it in again. And again. And again. Even as it was crumpling to the ground, she continued to stab it. Breathing heavily, arm still swinging, Beth finally had to pull her away. And they both fell to the ground.

"I got it, I got it didn't I!" BJ choked out the words, panting, clearly on an adrenaline rush. And as quickly as it had come on, it was gone.

"Yeah, you did it. I knew you could!" Beth had forgotten what it felt like to take out that first walker. The mix of fear, accomplishment, relief. And the absolute weakness that followed the adrenaline rush.

The 10 minute walk into the woods took what seemed like forever on the way back, with BJ's exhausted state. Finally, safely back in camp, BJ collapsed on the ground. Daryl and Jeff still hadn't returned, so Beth settled in next to BJ. "It get easier. Not routine, just easier. Try to control your breathing next time, and you won't get so exhausted afterwards."

Sitting together, they swapped stories. "The short story is, Daryl's Atlanta group showed up at our farm, and were there for a few months. When our farm was overrun with walkers we all got out together, and ended up on the road. Then Rick and Daryl found a prison, and we settled there for a while. There were other people who joined us at the prison, but that core group that left the farm together, that's our family. Now, unless we find Maggie or Rick, this is only family I have. And I would do anything to protect my family. Anything!" The intensity and conviction in her voice belied her 19 years.

XXXXXXXX

A pattern was emerging. After dark, Daryl and Beth sitting together, just the two of them, sharing and comparing the days events. And Beth liked it.

"You need to show her how to use the guns. I was surprised, she seemed to learn pretty fast. She used her knife to take out a walker. What? It was practice and I was right there." Daryl eyed her with a look she couldn't identify at the mention of the walker. "Before the turn she was a chef. She must have always worn gloves, her hands are still soft. My hands are so rough now, I almost forgot how they used to be." Beth felt a sudden sense of loss, as she looked down at her own hands, resting in her lap.

Daryl looked down at her, wrapping her small hands in his larger one, "You have a soft heart. That's better."


	16. Adrenaline Rush

Boy was getting entirely too comfortable sleeping with Beth. But the comfort and company he brought during the day was not the comfort or security Beth wanted at night. She knew that Daryl always waited for her to fall asleep before lying down to sleep himself. So when the moon was high, she feigned sleep until he came over to lie down on the edge of the blanket. As his breathing gave way to light snoring, Beth silently pushed Boy off the blanket and out of the way. With as much stealth as she could manage, she scooted up close behind Daryl. Pressing her body against his back. Wrapping her arm around him. Worming her fingers inside his shirt. Tucking her face into the back of his neck, breathing him in. And relaxing into his scent, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

Dawn came swiftly. Waking to find Beth snuggled up next to him, Daryl jumped as if he were on fire. Wondering, how did this happen again? As much as he craved the smell of her skin and the peace that her presence brought him, she was family. He couldn't, wouldn't, allow himself to be distracted from 'doing his job' again.

Rising, he whispered to Beth to wake up. He wanted a chance to talk to her about the day ahead, before Jeff and BJ got up. Their conversation was quick, quiet, intense. "I went through that truck last night. They brought a lot of guns. Somebody is going to be looking for those. Looking for that truck."

Combing her fingers through her hair, Beth asked "What does that mean? What are we doing today?"

"Jeff ain't ready. He did alright yesterday dry-firing. But when we started practicing with live ammo, he almost shot himself. Twice. And that was before he dropped the gun." With a sad half smile, Daryl shook his head and looked over at where Jeff and BJ were still sleeping. "We'll try a little more this morning. I'll take 'em both for a little gun practice. You pack. Then we'll head out and look for another car."

It didn't take long for Beth to pack and stow all of their gear in the back of the truck. Everything except their gun bag and the walker warning wire. Thinking she had a little time before the group got back, she went out for a walk with Boy, marveling at how the earth was reclaiming the land. The still beauty of the woods reminded her of home. Of lazy days on the porch drinking lemonade. Of a time when her greatest concern was in not letting the sweat from the side of the glass drip on her clothes.

Without her bidding, Maggie's image came to her mind. All those years growing up, she had always assumed she would have more time to spend with her. Now she was gone. And she needed her. With all the craziness of the past few weeks, she needed her to help her sort out her feelings. Having BJ around was nice, but not the same. They didn't have history. And BJ wasn't family.

In her distracted state, Beth didn't notice the three men, with handguns drawn, walking through the woods. She didn't notice Boy suddenly slink off, teeth barred, a low guttural growl emanating from his throat. She didn't notice the quiet rustling in the stillness of the woods. She didn't notice Boy's absence from her side. She didn't notice anything, until Boy's crying broke the silence.

With his frantic whimpers ringing in her ears, she began whispering his name, looking through the underbrush trying to find him. Obviously he had gotten himself stuck somewhere. Catching sight of his fur, she pushed through a bush and found him with rope around his neck. As she dropped to her knees and began trying to free him, she heard a familiar voice.

"Well, look who's here. I knew I would see **you** again."

Her mind racing, Beth reached for her knife as she slowly stood and turned to look at the person speaking. Immediately she recognized him as the one who Daryl had threatened. The one who had tried to attack her back at the compound. And he had two friends with him. She scanned their faces, the other two seemed almost disconnected, not interested in her at all. They were thinking of something else. But his face, was dark, predatory, and focused on her.

"To bad about your dog. Where's your bodyguard?" His tone was mocking. Was he trying to scare her? Had he observed that she was in the woods alone? Or, did he know something she didn't? And where the hell was the camp? And why hadn't she brought a gun with her?

With her hand on the hilt of her knife, she forced a half smile, "Just getting some air." As casually as she could manage, with her heart beating in her throat, she tried to back away from the men in front of her. Stay calm, manage your breathing, she thought, as she took another step backwards. Furtively, she unsheathed her knife, grateful that Daryl insisted she keep it sharpened. But her movements did not go unnoticed.

His dark, mocking voice continued, "Plan on using that knife on me, bitch? That's not a very nice way to say hello."

With that, panic flooded her being. "Daryl! Daryl!" Screaming, Beth turned and began to run. Slipping on the foliage under foot, falling to her knees and using her hands to push herself up, she scrambled to her feet. "Daryl! They're here! Help!" She raced through the brush, as fast as she could, still screaming, oblivious to the branches that whipped her arms and legs.

Reaching camp, tripping over the walker warning wire in her haste, Beth fell flat a few feet short of the gun bag. Ignoring the scrapes to her face, she clambered through the dirt towards the bag as quickly as she could. Finally reaching it, yanking out an automatic rifle, she rolled onto her back. Pointing the rife out at the advancing men, she began screaming "Get away! Get away from me! I mean it!" Using her feet, Beth pushed herself back towards the safety wall, keeping the rifle pointed out at the men who were pursuing her.

Charging into camp behind her, confronted with the rifle, two of the men stopped. Holding their arms out to their sides, one saying "We're not going to hurt you. We just want our guns back." His words were intended to disarm her, but his tone was dark, and Beth could hear Boy going crazy growling, barking and straining against the rope which still held him.

The third man, the one she recognized, the one who had been speaking, slowed, but continued to walk towards her. Now, dropping to his knees, he was actually crawling. As his dark, twisted face came closer to her, Beth began to whimper. "Daryl, help me." Tightening her grip on the gun, she threatened again, "Back off or I will shoot you." But still, he kept coming towards her. Now he was close enough to reach out and grab her ankles as she sat in the dirt. Eyes closed, Beth pulled on the trigger, but there was no click. Nothing happened. Her eyes popped open, she gasped and repeatedly tried pulling on the trigger, even as she was trying to scoot away on her behind, but to no avail.

Suddenly, like a whirlwind, BJ burst into camp. Her screams caused the first two men to turn towards her, away from Beth. In a rush, she launched herself past them onto the back of the one who was reaching for Beth. Screaming "Let her go," BJ began brandishing her knife, repeatedly burying it in his back. At the first impact, the man sucked in his breath and keeled over onto Beth. BJ, still clinging to his back, continued to stab him. Two, three, four more times. Beth's screams reached a fevered pitch as his blood covered her shoulders and arms.

At exactly the same moment, Jeff and Daryl both cleared the walker warning wire. Soundlessly, gun drawn, Daryl started backing the two standing, speechless men out of the camp. While Jeff started towards BJ, who was still clinging to the back of the man she had stabbed. The man who was now bleeding out on Beth. As Jeff reached out to BJ, the sound of a single shot rocked the camp, and BJ went limp. The back of her skull gone. BJ's blood mingled with that of Beth's attacker, coating her hair and face. Beth's screams died in her throat as she watched Jeff drop his gun. His face ashen.

Jeff stared down at his hand, at the gun now lying in the dirt, and then looked at first Beth and then Daryl, who had turned and was now staring at him. Jeff's mouth started to work, but no words came out. He shook his head from side to side. Then, without warning, he bolted over the walker wire, out of the camp, into the woods. The two men Daryl had been backing out of camp took that as their opportunity to turn and run.

"Ah, Shit!" Frustration evident in his voice, Daryl turned to Beth, pulling the bodies of BJ and then her attacker off of her. Pausing just long enough to put a bullet in her attackers head, he knelt in the dirt next to her. "You okay, Girl? Lets see. You get bit? Get hit with anything? Come on, talk to me Girl."

Beth's eyes were blank, as she looked up at him. Her face streaked and her chest, arms, and hands covered with blood. "What?" She asked vacantly.

With a gentleness that was reserved just for her, Daryl reached out to take her hand. "Come on, Girl. It's just me. Lemme see if you're hurt." With a start, Beth snatched her hand from him and put it to her mouth. Her eyes never leaving his face, she folded her limbs into her body and soundlessly curled up in a ball.

"Okay. You're okay. You just stay here." Conflicted, not knowing what to do, to say, or even to think, Daryl walked into the woods to search for Jeff. He was gone less than an hour, returning with Boy. Without a word, Daryl stowed the rest of their stuff in the back of the truck. He wrapped a blanket around Beth, put her on the front seat, and called Boy to sit between them. He pulled the truck out of the woods, onto the road, and in silence he drove until dark.

XXXXXXXX

The sound of thunder and the merciless pounding of rain beat down on the roof of the truck. Daryl shifted restlessly behind the steering wheel, trying to get comfortable enough to go back to sleep. But the noise and an unexpected draft caused him open his eyes. Looking over towards the passenger side, he was instantly awake. The door was open. Beth was gone.

Instantly he was fully awake, hyper alert. Sliding across the seat, he looked out into the rain. A trail of clothes and boots were soaking into the dirt. Looking up from the trail of clothes, in a not to distant spot, he saw her. Standing in the pounding rain, sky torn by lightning and thunder, totally naked, reaching up to the sky.

Grabbing the blanket from the front seat, Daryl silently ran to where she was standing. Boy lay in a puddle licking at her ankles as Beth murmured, "Washed by water and the Spirit. Clean me, Lord, clean me. Wash me in the water and the Spirit. Make me whole. Heal me." Hurrying up behind her, he quickly wrapped the blanket fully around her, pulling her arms down and tucking them inside the edges. And still she whispered, "Washed by water and the Spirit." The feel of the dry, rough blanket on her skin, caused her to turn her head to look up at him. With a grunt, he picked her up, and her body went limp as he carried her back to the cab of the truck. Gently setting her on the seat, Beth looked up at him, for just a moment, her eyes straining to focus. Then, with a soft sigh, her eyes closed and she collapsed into herself.


	17. Unpacking A Bad Day

As she dozed in the front seat of the truck, Beth's cheek burned from the sun streaming through the windshield. Shifting to get away from the intense sunshine, she thought how rough her clothes felt, before realizing that the roughness was from the blanket. Sitting, she pulled the blanket tightly around herself as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and tried to remember what had happened. Why she wasn't dressed. And where Boy and Daryl were.

Slowly she opened the side door and turned to stand. But before she could slide out of the truck, Daryl was there. "Hey Girl." As he called out to her, Boy climbed into the truck and settled on the floor, with his nose in her lap.

Licking her bottom lip, she looked up at him. "Hey. Um, where are my clothes?"

Nodding towards the bushes, "Not dry yet. Boots won't be dry for another day. How you feel?"

"I'm okay." Looking down, ears flushing, she had to ask, "How did I get here? Did you… see me? Or…"

He wanted to tease her, to play a little, but she seemed so fragile. "No. I just put the blanket around you."

The relief was evident in her face. "Thank you." Sitting in the door of the truck, naked, wrapped in a blanket. talking to a man she wasn't related to, she had never felt safer in her life. "Yesterday was bad, wasn't it?"

Daryl rubbed his bottom lip with his thumb, and looked at her through his eye lashes. Uncertain of what she remembered. She had seemed so lost afterwards. "Yeah. It was bad."

"BJ? Is she?" Daryl stared at her and slightly nodded. "And Jeff?"

"Walkers. He ran right into 'em." Beth's memories felt fragmented, like bad dreams. And for a moment she wondered if she ignored them, maybe they wouldn't be true.

"Did he, I mean accidentally, did he…" She was almost afraid to ask, but she needed to know.

"Yeah. I knew he wasn't ready. But when I heard you scream, all I could think about was getting back to camp. I should have taken that gun from him. That's on me." As he spoke, a mask of guilt spread across Daryl's face. He had been the one who put the gun in Jeff's hand and insisted that he learn how to use it. So it was his job to make sure that Jeff used it in a responsible way. Not shoot a friend because he was flustered.

"That's not true. Jeff shooting BJ is not your fault. You were trying to teach him how to survive, to protect himself. Just like you taught me." Even as she was speaking, Beth was keenly aware of how Daryl protected her. He may have taught her to use a gun, but he was never far from her side. And he never hesitated to step into the gap to shield her from harm. Even if it meant he might get hurt himself. "What happened is not on you. It was an accident."

Daryl leaned back against the side of the truck, feet crossed at the ankle, arms crossed against his chest. "No. I should have known. After that first day… The road wasn't the place for him. I knew it. I should have sent him back. Both of 'em."

Beth snaked a hand out towards him, from under the blanket. "It's not your fault. They didn't want to be there. You knew it was a bad place and so did they. You gave them a chance to get away. It's not your fault it didn't work out." Sliding out of the truck, she stood barefoot in the dirt still wrapped in the blanket, "And, give me my clothes. Please. I feel ridiculous talking to you like this."

Roughly pulling her things from the bushes where he had spread them to dry, Daryl soundlessly handed Beth her clothes. Then turning, he walked away, studiously keeping his back to her. Boy jumped out of the truck and nuzzled Beth's legs, as she shoved the blanket onto the seat and quickly pulled on her clothes.

"Daryl!" She called, "Come back. I'm all dressed." Beth was still barefoot, standing next to the truck, oblivious to how her damp clothes were clinging to her body. While Daryl tried not to notice how delicious she looked. "Did you bury BJ?"

Spitting, "No. I just needed to get out of there. Get you out of there." Leaning on the side of the truck, trying not to stare at her, he finally asked, "So, what was that with the rain last night?" He had mentally wrestled with it all night and into the day, trying to decipher exactly what she had been doing out there.

Beth looked down and began nervously wringing the hem of her shirt. "I remember being in church, before the turn. There was a baptism. And the preacher talked about how in baptism all our, our sins are washed away. By water and the Spirit. Well, umm, when the rain woke me up last night, I just… I just really needed to have everything from yesterday washed away. So…" Looking up at him, her eyes were squinty, as she tried to read his face, to see what he thought about what she had shared. To see if he thought she was crazy.

Searching her eyes with his own, he asked, "Does it help? All this faith stuff?"

Relieved at his response, Beth gave him a half smile, shrugged, and offered "Well, yeah. It makes a difference. It makes what we have to go through easier. Don't you believe in God?"

"Um mm." Chewing his bottom lip, Daryl shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm glad you do."


	18. Family

Like a man possessed, Daryl pushed Beth every day. To get up earlier, to walk further. He convinced himself that Rick, Maggie, and the rest were out there. They just needed to keep looking until they found them. And he was desperate to find them. If Beth and Boy were his family, then the larger group was Home. And he needed the security of home, to sort out his family stuff. He needed to talk to Rick. He needed to figure out how to define family. From the time they left the farm, Beth had been part of his family. And you don't have 'those kinds' of feelings about family. But, they weren't blood family. So what does it mean to say that Beth is family?

His prison family had shown him a whole new view of what a family could be. How people who loved and cared about each other treated one another. And now, his time on the road with Beth, had stirred up things he didn't know he wanted. Things he hadn't thought about for a long time. Things he didn't think he deserved. But after declaring Beth his wife at the compound, Daryl couldn't stop thinking about what that would really look like.

The women Merle found, they didn't deserve to be talked about in the same breath as Beth. They had mostly been skanky tweakers who made his skin crawl. But then, Merle had usually been so messed up, he didn't notice. Or care. Beth was the total opposite of anyone who would have even talked to Merle. From the time when they first got to the farm until now, Beth had really grown into herself. Confident, self-sufficient, and yet still warm, open and trusting. With an innocence that made his heart melt.

Growing up, his mom never cared for or protected him the way a mom should. She knew how his dad was, and she let him beat his kids. Probably so he wouldn't beat her. But afterwards, she didn't comfort him or bandage him up. She never told him he was special or that she loved him. And he never knew he missed that. Not until he saw Beth with Lil' Ass Kicker. Holding her, singing to her, making funny noises on her belly. Cuddling and kissing her checks when she cried. Telling her how much she loved her. When the flu hit the prison, Beth even put herself in isolation, cutting herself off from everybody else, just so she could take of her. She always put Lil' Ass Kicker first. If she was that great with Lil' Ass Kicker, he couldn't imagine how great she'd be with her own kids.

If Beth would even consider him, they wouldn't be the first couple in the family. But some of the other models weren't to his liking. As much as he respected Rick, he and Lori had struggled. Lori had played Shane and Rick against each other. Then Rick froze her out, emotionally keeping her at arms distance. They ended up married in name only, hardly spending time together, or even talking. At the end they didn't even act like they liked each other much. No, that definitely wasn't good.

And then Shane was with Andrea for a while, sort of. But he just treated her like a toy, or a distraction. And so did the governor. Neither of them treated her with respect.

Glenn and Maggie, they seemed to have it about right. Mutual respect, consideration, and devotion. That's part of what a relationship needs to be successful. That seemed to be what he and Beth shared on the road. Spending so much time together, they had become partners in ways he couldn't explain. They had learned to communicate with looks when they needed to. And had developed a closeness and mutual dependence that he had never experienced before. There was a comfort and tenderness he only found in Beth, a comfort and tenderness he had never known he needed. And now, he never wanted to give it up.

He thought of the ties between Beth and Maggie. They shared their faith and had history, which can't be underestimated, but they also had a lot of differences. Beth had a gentleness of soul and a gracious spirit that Maggie didn't have. But, she wasn't a warrior like Maggie. Not that she was a light weight anymore. Being on the road, Beth had toughened up, learned to defend herself and take care of others if she had to. what does it mean to be family?

Relentlessly, like a man pursued, Daryl pushed Beth and Boy to keep moving. To keep searching. Until finally, success. In a farm house, not unlike the one Beth and Maggie had grown up in, they finally found the rest of their family.

XXXXXXXX

Three days after they found the rest of their prison family, Beth decided it was time to have a chat with her big sister. Curling up on the sofa next to her, their conversation continued. "I need him Maggie. And I want him. Every part of him.

Maggie wasn't surprised. She knew her sister and living at the prison, in close quarters, she had seen things. But she wasn't entirely convinced. "I like him to. I do. He's a good man, and I know he can take care of you. But…it's Daryl! Isn't he's sort of… You know, old?"

For the first time that Maggie that could ever remember, Beth's face turned to stone and her voice was hard. "No. He isn't."

Gently Maggie began again, "Look, I'm not trying to be mean here, but… People don't get to be old anymore. He might be able to take care of you now, but what about in a few years. Is he going to be able to take care of you then? Will he even be around then? And what about kids? How long is he going to be able to take care of them?"

Beth offered a conciliatory smile into the silence. "I can't worry about that right now. I learned out on the road that I have today, maybe I have tomorrow. And when Daryl can't take of me, that's when I take care of him. Just like we've been doing."

Maggie sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair. "Beth, this isn't just about being out there alone together is it? Wait. You two didn't…"

Surprised at what she thought her sister might have been suggesting. "What? No. NO!" Feeling the anger began to rise in her throat, Beth began "Look! I wanted your opinion a month ago. Now I'm just letting you know. I'm doing this, WE'RE doing this. No matter what you say!"

Maggie looked over at her little sister with a smile of resignation, "Good. That's all I wanted to hear. If he makes you happy, then I'm happy. Just be careful."

XXXXXXXX

Outside on the porch, there was another conversation going on. Rick shook his head, then turned to Daryl with a half smile. "Yeah, I know. Beth's family. But, she's not blood. Hershel loved you. He'd be proud to have you. Just know, if you start down that path, there's no coming back. You can't unring that bell."

XXXXXXXX

Later that day, Daryl and Beth found themselves alone, sitting together on the porch, looking out at the road. In that moment, neither one wanted to look directly at the other. Because neither of them knew how to start the conversation they had been avoiding. Shyly, Beth reached for Daryl's hand, and he silently wrapped his larger hand around hers.

Beth quietly began, "I had a nice talk with Maggie today."

"Yeah?"

"Maggie said you're a good man. I already knew that." Daryl's fingers tightened slightly around her hand, pleased with her affirmation of Maggie's assessment.

"Hmm. I talked to Rick today."

"What did Rick have to say?"

"He reminded me that we're family." Daryl paused, "But, we're not blood."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

As if on cue, they both turned their heads to look at each other. "Well, okay then." She whispered.

"We good?" His eyes searched hers.

And her eyes answered. "Oh Yeah. We're good."

XXXXXXXX

**Well, this is the end of my journey with Daryl and Beth.**

**To all who followed and favored and reviewed and just quietly read along, thanks for traveling with me.**

**For anyone who would like to PM, I answer.**

**Blessings.**


End file.
